Virtually the entire cricket administration in India — at the BCCI and State level — that have vehemently opposed the radical reforms recommended by the Justice Lodha Committee and validated by the Supreme Court on July 18, 2016 are pleasantly surprised at the apex court offering them another opportunity to come up suggestions for the BCCI’s Draft Constitution.
The discerning wonder why another attempt to get the views of the office-bearers and member associations when the apex court has already received suggestions from the present office-bearers comprising acting-president C.K. Khanna, acting-secretary Amitabh Choudhary and treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry.
There is speculation that suggestions have been asked only on three specific policies: ‘One State, One member, One Vote’, reverting to the conventional five-member selection committees and the vexing, variable full-membership status of the three Ranji Trophy playing teams in Maharashtra (Mumbai, Maharashtra, Vidarbha) and Gujarat (Gujarat, Saurashtra, Baroda), Services, Railways and non-Ranji Trophy playing members All-India Universities, Cricket Club of India and National Cricket Club.
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The present members, though, would go to the Amicus Curiae Gopal Subramanium as proposed by the apex court, with a bigger wish, including the one to remove restrictions placed on the tenure clause (cooling-off period of three years after each term of three years and an accumulated tenure of nine years), age cap of 70 and most importantly, the distribution of powers to the elected office-bearers and the CEO.
By its order dated July, 24, 2017, the Supreme Court had given clear indications that it was inclined to look at the ‘One State, One Member, One Vote’ policy accepted by a CJI Bench comprising Tirath Siungh Thakur and F.M. Ibrahim Kalifulla on July 18, 2016.
The Court, while drawing up the agenda for a BCCI SGM scheduled last July, had said: “All concerned shall implement the recommendations of the Lodha Committee report as far as practicable, barring the issues which have been raised pertaining to membership, number of members of the selection committee, concept of associate membership, etc.”
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By another order served last October, the court had asked the three office-bearers Khanna, Amitabh and Anirudh to give their suggestions on recommendations they find are not practicable.
It also said that once the suggestions are submitted, the claims of Railways, Universities and Services and the other cricket associations, that are of the view that the concept of ‘One State, One vote’ should not be applicable keeping in view their contribution to the game of cricket, shall be considered.”
Amitabh, claiming the backing of 13 members, listed in the ‘not practicable’ category, three clasues which include ‘nine-year cumulative term and cooling-off period’.
This would not allow the Gujarat Cricket Association president Amit Shah (the BJP chief and MP), vice-president Parimalbhai Nathwani and joint-secretary Jay Shah (Amit Shah’s son) to continue in office.