Mumbai: Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has convened a Special General Meeting (SGM) on September 30 to look into the matter. BCCI is facing trouble from all quarters and would be interesting to know what course of action administrators choose to follow.
BCCI has already angered the Supreme Court backed Justice RM Lodha committee and Chief Justice of India TS Thakur is paying close attention to it. The apex court will decide on 6th October if board fails to fall in the line then SC will crack the whip and mass sackings could take place.
The Lodha committee is not happy that during Annual General Meeting (AGM), BCCI acted as nothing had happened and elected Ajay Shirke as the new secretary unanimously and also formed the new selection panel.
The Lodha panel, by email dated August 31, had issued the direction to BCCI in the context of the First Compliance Report submitted by the Board six days earlier, that the BCCI was asked to transact only ‘routine business’ at its AGM.
“The Committee now directs that this AGM be limited only to ‘routine business’ concerning the past year (2015-2016) and that any business or matters relating to the next year (2016-2017) be dealt with only after the adoption of the MoA and Rules as per the recommendations of the Committee in accordance with the same,” the Lodha panel had said in its directive to the Board.
“The purpose of this direction was to ensure that the recommendations which had to be implemented are not circumvented by delaying the formal adoption of the MoA and Rules & Regulations by the BCCI by creating fait accompli,” the Lodha panel said in its status report to the Supreme Court.
AGM was convened and the minutes of meeting were not furnished, the panel said to the apex court that “the decisions Nos.2, 3, 5, 6 & 8 (as uploaded on the BCCI’s website) are in violation of the aforesaid directives issued by the SC Committee on 31.8.2016 and frustrates the implementation of this Hon’ble Court’s judgement.”
“With as many as 7 of the Timelines to be complied with by 30.9.2016, it is now clear that the BCCI is in no position to ensure that the time lines mandated to be laid down by this Hon’ble Court are complied with,” the Lodha panel has said further in its status report.
“The conduct of the Office Bearers of the BCCI in not following the directions of the SC Committee has created serious impediments in the implementation of the directions of this Hon’ble Court.”
The violations were taken note of and Lodha committee formed an opinion that SC should supersede and all the decisions should be declared null and void. BCCI chose to stay defiant and didn’t comply with the committee findings.
CJI TS Thakur has made it abundantly clear that the richest cricketing body in the world have turned “law unto self” and is taking decisions arbitrarily.
The battle has gone too far and tomorrow’s meeting could be death knell for many board officials, who are not only facing charges of contempt of court but losing the public perception as well.