April 8, 2016: Supreme Court invoked the retirement cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar to justify Justice R.M. Lodha Committee suggestion that BCCI's administrators should retire at 70 years of age. >Read more
April 8, 2016: The hearing before a Bench of Chief Justices of India witnessed a face-off between the apex court and the BCCI. >Read more
April 5, 2016 : Noting that the BCCI has done nothing to develop cricket on an equal basis across the country, the Supreme Court said cricket bosses has transformed the Board into a "mutual benefit society" which disburses huge amounts to choice members without even bothering to ask how they spend it. >Read more
March 4, 2016: The court also asked why cricket administrators should wear two hats and have simultaneous memberships in both the BCCI and State bodies. >Read more
March 3, 2016: Starting with the ‘One state one vote’ recommendation, the BCCI said this may lead to corruption he likes of which is seen in the FIFA. >Read more
March 3, 2016: Assuming total control even after BCCI or State Cricket Associations tried to pick holes in the Justice Lodha Committee recommendations, the Supreme Court said it will not allow these cricketing bodies and their administrators to "filibuster" or delay the much-needed reforms to bring purity back into Indian cricket. >Read more
March 3, 2016: In a 60-page affidavit, the BCCI has blamed the Supreme Court-appointed committee led by former CJI R.M. Lodha for keeping it in the dark. >Read more
March 1, 2016: BCCI filed a detailed counter-affidavit in the Supreme Court conveying its practical difficulties in complying with the recommendations of the apex court-appointed Justice R.M. Lodha Committee. >Read more
February 22, 2016: MCA would file an intervention application before the Supreme Court to highlight the difficulties in implementing Justice R.M. (retired) Lodha Committee’s recommendations to restructure the Board. >Read more
Febraury 20, 2016: The BCCI’s full, associate and affiliate members, without going deep into the report of the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Committee on ‘Reforms In Cricket’, authorised secretary Anurag Thakur to file an affidavit in the court, pointing to the “anomalies and difficulties” in implementing the recommendations. >Read more
February 18, 2016: While accepting the suggestion to become more transparent in its functioning, the Delhi and District Cricket Association, in a meeting of its Executive Committee here on Wednesday, rejected most of the recommendations of the Lodha Committee. >Read more
February 18, 2016: SGM is to be preceded by the Working Committee meeting for ratifying the decisions by its sub-committees taken after its previous sitting. >Read more
February 4, 2016: Describing the Justice R.M. Lodha Committee report on overhaul of BCCI as “straightforward, rational and understandable”, the Supreme Court sternly advised the cricket body to “fall in line” with the recommendations and save itself further trouble. >Read more
January 9, 2016 : Saad Bin Jung writes, If the Committee had to make any dent in the workings of the Board, it was pertinent that the foundation on which the society once stood be revisited. >Read more
January 6, 2016: Suresh Menon writes: At one point in his superbly detailed and unsentimental report, Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha says, “A reluctance to adapt such avenues would raise grave doubts about the actual intentions of the administration.” >Read more
Living up to its promise of regaining the “purity of the game” and restoring the dignity of the players, the Lodha Committee has suggested sweeping reforms in the structuring and governance of cricket in the country. The three-member panel submitted its report to the Supreme Court. >Vijay Lokapally writes
January 4, 2016 : The Hindu understands that the Justice Lodha Committee will, among other things, empower the players. The head of the committee, Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha, a former Chief Justice of India, spoke to this newspaper on Sunday evening. >Read more
Former Chief Justice of India, R.M. Lodha, submitted his report on the various aspects of reforms in the BCCI to the Supreme Court on January 4, 2016 . >Read more
Former Chief Justice of India, R.M. Lodha, submitted his report on the various aspects of reforms in the BCCI to the Supreme Court. The report culminates the panel’s exhaustive investigations into how the game is run in the country and what could be done to ensure that transparency and accountability is the rule and not the exception in the administration of cricket in India.
Highlights of the Lodha panel recommendations
>> Suspends Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals for two years from IPL in a clean up of cricket following the 2013 betting scam involving their top officials Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra.
>> Recommends legalising betting. "Legalise betting in cricket but ban cricket officials, administrators, players from indulging in it," says report
>> No BCCI office-bearer can hold two posts at the same time.
>> No BCCI office-bearer can have more than two consecutive terms.
>> No BCCI office-bearer can be a Minister or government servant.
>> Separate governing bodies for the IPL and BCCI.
>> One Association of each State will be full-member and have the right to vote.
>> Ethics Officer will decide on conflict of interest. Ethics officer will be a former HC judge and there will be an elected officer who will overlook the election work.
>> If an office-bearer of a state association is elected to BCCI, he has to vacate state association post.
>> Services, Railways and Universities have hitherto enjoyed Full Member rights although they do not represent a particular State, the Committee recommends that they be accorded the status of Associate Member so that their views may still be considered while they will not have voting rights.
>> The governance of the BCCI must be decentralised. No individual is more important than the institution, and so all crucial powers and functions hitherto bestowed exclusively on the President will have to be divided across the governing body, which is to be known as the Apex Council (with a special and separate governing body for IPL, known as IPL Governing Council).
>> Any elected Councillor shall stand automatically disqualified after nine years as an office bearer, and shall also be disqualified from contesting or holding the post if he has completed the age of 70 years, is charged under the penal law, is declared to be of unsound mind, is a Minister or government servant or holds any post of another sports body in the country.
>> The Umpires Committee is another Committee comprising only Umpires, which conducts tests, considers confidential reports and selects and classifies umpires for officiating games under the auspices of the BCCI. This Committee would also report directly to the Apex Council.
>> Suggests a players association under a steering committee consisting of Mr.G.K.Pillai, Former Union Home Secretary (Chairperson), Mohinder Amarnath, Former National Cricketer, Diana Edulji, Former National Cricketer and Anil Kumble, Former National Cricketer.
>> The Players, Administrators and others closely associated with the sport would be required to furnish the details of their incomes and assets for the sake of transparency.
>> Create an Integrity Unit consisting of former cricket players of repute, committed to the cause of cricket, to act as mentors and guides, whom young players can meet on designated dates to discuss their doubts, problems and grievances related to the game.
>> Provision has been made to have an independent ombudsman to resolve grievances of Members, Administrators, Players and even members of the public as per the procedures laid down. Similarly, an independent Electoral Officer to oversee the entire electoral process is also mandated.
The full report of the Supreme Court Committee on Reforms in Cricket can be read here.
