Why cleansing BCCI is much like cleaning Ganga
So, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is showing its true colours and will fight against implementing some of the recommendations of the Supreme Court-appointed Justice RM Lodha Committee.
The BCCI's special general meeting in Mumbai on January 19 was a stormy one by all accounts. All those who thought the BCCI would silently accept the long list of recommendations for good governance were in for a surprise as the mood was one of defiance.
In fact, even before the Friday meeting, some state associations had already expressed their displeasure and said they would oppose what the Lodha panel wanted. And there was no surprise that the trouble-ridden Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) was first off the blocks.
Look at the irony. The DDCA is in a huge mess for several reasons and yet it came out in a defiant manner last week as it knows it will be one of the worst affected if the recommendations are implemented. To be sure, implementing the Lodha panel suggestions was never going to be easy. If one flips through the history of sporting czars in India, they have been in power for long periods. And it's not just cricket.
When the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to suspend the Indian Olympic Association in 2012, what followed was a protracted battle. The IOC did force a lot of things on the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), though the international body by itself never had any age limits.
Cleansing the BCCI is as difficult as cleaning the Ganga. The NDA promised before the General Elections in 2014 that the Ganga would be cleansed! In Delhi, politicians talk of cleaning the Yamuna, but all the money goes down the drain.
This is the time when the average cricket fan is concerned about what happens to Team India in the Asia Cup in Bangladesh and the ICC World T20 at home. After that, the annual cricket carnival called the Indian Premier League will enthral the audience as the ninth edition will have two new teams from Pune and Rajkot.
Amidst all this, we have the BCCI officials in a combative mood, which was expected. The proposal to have only one state body with voting rights was never going to be accepted.
Look at the way cricket has been run in Maharashtra. You have three associations in the Maharashtra Cricket Association, Mumbai Cricket Association and Vidarbha. If officials from these units are unhappy, it is understandable.
If one flips through the annals of Indian cricket, each one of these units has built teams and infrastructure over the years. So to think they will agree to the Lodha panel recommendations was farfetched as at the end of the day sports politics is big business in India. Then again, if you take Gujarat, you have three units in GCA, Saurashtra and Baroda.
All of them have produced top cricketers and their grounds are impressive. Officials from these units have openly said their commitment to cricket cannot be questioned as they have done everything to strengthen their base.
Depriving them of votes was never going to be taken lying down, and one should not be surprised if they join hands and fight it out in the Supreme Court. Friday's meeting in Mumbai authorised BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur to file affidavits in the Supreme Court. At the same time, state units have been given the go-ahead to independently file affidavits on their grouses by the first week of March.
The list of suggestions which the BCCI meeting opposed is quite exhaustive. From tenure restrictions to a cooling-off period for officer bearers, legal battles are going to be fought.
For its part, the BCCI, which had in the past refused to come under the RTI, has now agreed to do so. They have also agreed to register player agents and share their financial details on its website.
The board's decision to hire a CEO and CFO looks good as it conveys an impression they want to function professionally.
Where the state units will also be up in arms is over a uniform constitution. It may look simple in theory but not so easy in implementation.
The Lodha panel also wants irritating advertisements to be cut out during live telecast of matches. The BCCI, which has calculated revenue loss down to the last rupee, has opposed this.
Even as fans will be busy over the next few months watching plenty of T20 cricket, officials from several state units of the BCCI will be ready with their affidavits. And just to jog the readers' memory, BCCI president Shashank Manohar is a leading lawyer who happens to be the ICC chairman as well.
(Courtesy of Mail Today.)