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Board of uncontrollables in Indian cricket

WHO controls cricket in India? Is it the preserve of a select group of friends or millions of Indians who take it as a way of life? Do cricketers play for BCCI or do they play for India? These are the questions that have been nagging cricket lovers and have been debated by the Lodha Committee and the Supreme Court.



By Bishan Singh Bedi

WHO controls cricket in India? Is it the preserve of a select group of friends or millions of Indians who take it as a way of life? Do cricketers play for BCCI or do they play for India? These are the questions that have been nagging cricket lovers and have been debated by the Lodha Committee and the Supreme Court.

Over the last 18 months, I have been seeing the extent of resistance by a select band of merry-makers in BCCI. These guys, led by an arrogant businessman, had perfected the election mantra. ‘Just get together a ramshackle group by offering positions and perks, arrange for politicians to be a part of the group who will manipulate three votes (Universities, Services and Railways) and then add nine votes from four states. The philosophy is simple: once a majority is in your grasp, everyone will join the bandwagon for the fear of losing out on positions that give power and money.

Even after the honourable Supreme Court gave a clear judgement in the case, and incorporated almost all the recommendations of Justice Lodha Committee, it was expected that it was all over for BCCI, bar the shouting. But, BCCI office-bearers are made up of sterner stuff. 

When the then CJI, after giving a patient hearing to all the state units, had asked BCCI as to what their objections to Justice Lodha recommendations were, they came up with bizarre excuses to thwart the norms of transparency and integrity. One of the state satraps waxed eloquent about his decades of professional experience — the entire audience in the court was amused to hear that the said administrator ran a stationary shop 40 years back, and since then has known no vocation other than being a freeloader in cricket circles. Most of the state satraps have similar business accomplishments. 

Tailor-made

The current BCCI interim president started off as a tailor in Delhi and has risen by the dint of his expert knowledge of tailoring and cutting cloth and by mastering the election process over the last 35 years. One year has passed, yet the former BCCI office-bearers have adopted every trick in the book to hoodwink the Supreme Court. It is a matter of utmost satisfaction that Supreme Court has now barred N Srinivasan, and Niranjan Shah from attending the BCCI SGM scheduled for July 26. The court has thankfully further clarified that only the office-bearers of the state associations can attend the meeting. BCCI, through its secretary appearing in the matter of implementation of Justice Lodha reforms, or lack thereof, continued to voice its opposition to Committee of Administrators (CoA) on many counts. The two legal counsels of CoA and BCCI were at loggerheads in court on the implementation of the Lodha reforms which are yet to be carried out — since the board officials were removed for not carrying out the reforms.

One thing that stumps me is how a final decision by the Supreme Court is not being implemented in toto? How is it that even a ray of hope is being afforded to BCCI by considering views of Justice Lodha that they once endorsed? I cannot fathom why the court has expressed willingness to modify Lodha panel recommendations like One State, One Vote, membership patterns, and increasing the number of selectors (from the recommended three). I also cannot understand why the Honourable Supreme Court has added that the One-State-One-Vote policy is not favourable to India, which is in sharp contrast to what Justice Lodha reforms had proposed. Having been present in the court during the hearing last year, I was impressed by the reasoned logic of the bench in checking the manipulation of elections by controlling three votes by the government, and the one-state-but-multiple-votes system. In my humble opinion, there should be no reason to revisit the well-reasoned and well-thought through decision of the earlier bench. BCCI should not be given any window to revert to its specialised operation of ‘managing elections and perpetuating a cosy-club’.

Why board of control?

Cricketers play for the country and wish to play under the Indian insignia and flag. Why should they wear apparel with a BCCI logo? Just look at any other country’s board, they do not write Board of Control for Cricket in... rather they call themselves Cricket Australia, England and Wales Cricket Board, Sri Lanka Cricket Board, West Indies Cricket Board etc. Which begs a question — who does the cricket board in India wish to control? Are they there for developing cricket or are they looking to control cricket? 

Look at the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA), it does not have a valid lease yet the officials have built a horrendous stadium at a huge cost. There are no indoor practice facilities nor does it have an academy of its own. Haryana does not have an international stadium. Punjab is keen to construct a stadium near Mohali where they already have one stadium. 

Loot in constructing stadiums

A Deloitte report has specified how loot in the name of construction of stadiums has taken place in different states over the years.

It is time that the honourable Supreme Court orders a forensic audit of all the state associations to see how money has been swindled. None of these guys has any love for cricket — it is only the love for lucre and power that these chaps do not want to leave. It is time to give them a final push. Justice Mukul Mudgal, former administrator in DDCA, had given lucid details of an office-bearer whose propensity to be seen on the dais knew no limits. He would take no responsibility but his ‘pernicious influence’ was known to all. Sadly, this very Delhi man has reached the pinnacle of ‘control’ in BCCI. He is the interim president. Do I need to say any further?

The writer is former India captain

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