Lodha panel declines request of BCCI

The cricket body wanted their August 9 meet deferred

The Supreme Court-appointed R.M. Lodha committee is learnt to have declined a request from BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke to defer their interaction scheduled for August 9 to iron out ways to implement the panel’s reforms upheld by the court in a judgment on July 18.

Sources in the Justice Lodha Committee said Mr. Shirke wrote to the panel on Sunday night requesting for a deferment.

The letter from Mr. Shirke came hours after the former Supreme Court judge, Justice Markandey Katju — appointed by the BCCI to advice it on the Lodha reforms which will see an overhaul in memberships and functioning of the cricket body — filed an interim report and declared the July 18 judgment unconstitutional and the committee illegal.

Justice Katju, in an interview with

The Hindu on Sunday, said grave constitutional issues were involved in the case and the apex court should have referred the matter to a five-judge Constitution Bench.

Review petition

Justice Katju suggested that the BCCI should file a review petition against the July 18 verdict. The Bench headed by Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur had upheld the Lodha Committee recommendations like an age cap of 70 on BCCI office-bearers, cooling off period, one State-one vote and ban on ministers and bureaucrats. All these recommendations were strongly objected by the cricket body and member-State associations in the court.