Massive overhaul in BCCI proposed

NEW DELHI, JANUARY 4
The Supreme Court-appointed Justice RM Lodha Committee might leave some of the key BCCI administrators “jobless” if its recommendations on office-bearers’ age and tenure are implemented in the coming days.
The panel, largely taking a cue from the provisions defined in the revised draft of the National Sports Development Code, has suggested an eligibility criteria for the BCCI office-bearers, limiting a tenure of three years for each administrators and a cooling-off period to prevent them from holding consecutive terms. In addition to that, the criteria states that an office-bearer “must not be above the age of 70, must not be a minister or a government servant and must not have held BCCI office for a cumulative period of nine years”.
The worst-affected would be [resident Shashank Manohar, secretary Anurag Thakur, treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhary and joint secretary Amitabh Chaudhary. The committee’s recommendations are likely to be implemented in toto after the Apex Court takes up the matter.
In the given scenario, Manohar will not be eligible to contest another election to the top post as he is serving his second tenure as the BCCI president. And, with ‘one state one vote’ rule likely to be implemented, the Vidarbha Cricket Association, whom Manohar is the president, would become an ‘Associate Member’ without voting rights.
Thakur’s chair in danger
In case of secretary Anurag Thakur, he will have to relinquish his president’s post in Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) which he has been occupying since July 2000. He will also have to serve the cooling-off period of three years after serving his term in the BCCI till 2017. This means Thakur would become ineligible to hold any post in the HPCA as he has been the president for over 15 years and will sit out of the BCCI affairs for at least three years after his present term expires.
Saurashtra Cricket Association chief Niranjan Shah (71), Mumbai Cricket Association president Sharad Pawar (75), Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) chief N Srinivasan (71), Punjab Cricket Association’s (PCA) top bosses MP Pandove and IS Bindra are also facing an exit from all administrative jobs.
The same is the case with the Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Rajeev Shukla who will also become ineligible to hold the post of Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association secretary. He, has been in office since 2005.
The Tribune has learnt that more than two-third of state units, affiliated to the BCCI, will have to find new administrators if the Lodha panel recommendations are implemented.
North Zone worst-affected
Out of the seven voting units from the North Zone, none will have the present administrators unless Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) new president Iqbal Raza Ansari is able to resolve differences with the parallel body led by former Union Minister Farooq Abdullah.
The controversial case of the DDCA is going to be automatically resolved with Justice Lodha panel putting an end to “proxy” voting in cricket bodies. President Sneh Bansal, vice president CK Khanna and Chetan Chauhan have all been occupying their posts for many a decades now.