The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to review the apex court's order, in which it agreed with the recommendations of the Justice (retd) RM Lodha Committee. The recommendations, when implemented, would bring more transparency to the cricketing body.
The BCCI, led by president Anurag Thakur, has said that implementing the recommendations could spell more problems for the cricketing body, including its expulsion from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
In an affidavit filed with the apex court on Monday, Thakur had said of his conversation with ICC President Shashank Manohar: "When he was president of BCCI, he had taken a view that the Lodha panel recommendations of appointing a nominee of the CAG on the board's Apex Council would amount to governmental interference and might invoke an action of suspension from ICC," Thakur had said.
The Lodha panel recommendations, it may be noted, include barring ministers and civil servants as well as those above 70 years of age from becoming BCCI office bearers. If implemented, this could end political presence in the BCCI.
The current BCCI president, Anurag Thakur, is a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader. Former BCCI chief Sharad Pawar is the founder of Nationalist Congress Party. He is a former Union Cabinet minister and the former chief minister of Maharashtra.
The BCCI has also contested the one-state-one-vote proposal, which limits the voting power of traditionally more influential states and their selectors; and a cooling off period in its review petition in the Supreme Court.
If and when the recommendations are implemented, Thakur and many others could be on their way out of the BCCI. However, Thakur could land a role in the ICC, with sources saying that the world cricketing body is keen on giving Thakur the chairmanship role in its development committee. He will succeed Manohar.
