Srinivasan, Shah stalling reforms: CoA tells SC

NEW DELHI:Ahead of the crucial Supreme Court hearing on July 14, the Committee of Administrators (CoA) has submitted a damning status report to the court, urging the court to issue directions to “restrain” and “prohibit” the disqualified BCCI and state association officials from creating impediments in the implementation of the Lodha reforms.

Sabi Hussain

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 12

Ahead of the crucial Supreme Court hearing on July 14, the Committee of Administrators (CoA) has submitted a damning status report to the court, urging the court to issue directions to “restrain” and “prohibit” the disqualified BCCI and state association officials from creating impediments in the implementation of the Lodha reforms.

Slamming N Srinivasan and Niranjan Shah in particular for stalling reforms, CoA described them as “disqualified office bearers with vested interest” in the report. CoA has asked the Supreme Court to “…issue appropriate directions restraining persons who are disqualified from being office-bearers of their respective state/member associations from being nominated as their representatives to attend any SGM or AGM.”

Srinivasan, Shah disruptive

CoA has criticised Srinivasan and Shah for attending BCCI’s special general meeting (SGM) in Mumbai on June 26 as nominated representatives of their state associations. The two, along with their coterie of loyalists, created disruptions at the SGM and objected to the implementation of certain Lodha Committee recommendations. It was because of their “hijacking” approach that BCCI named a special committee to identify contentious recommendations which the board had been finding difficult to implement.

“Such disqualified persons have vested interests in stalling the implementation of the judgment… It is requested that the court takes a serious note of the disruptive and subversive conduct of such disqualified persons during the SGM. It’s also requested that appropriate directions should be issued prohibiting persons who are disqualified from being office-bearers of BCCI from being part of any committees of BCCI,” the report said, referring to Shah’s inclusion as an “invitee” to BCCI’s special committee.

Chaudhry ‘mute spectator’

CoA also came down heavily on BCCI treasurer and Haryana Cricket Association secretary Anirudh Chaudhry for “lacking the courage or conviction to speak in favour of the implementation of the reforms”. “As a result, the SGM (on June 26) didn't even vote on any of the matters, including adoption of the new BCCI constitution,” the report stated.

Cooling-off period

CoA has also sought a clarification from the court on the complex issue of the cooling-off period for office-bearers. BCCI has reservations about two recommendations — the cooling-off period of three years after every three-year term and cooling-off period for Apex Council members.

CoA's report asks the court to “…issue appropriate directions clarifying that the period of cooling-off will apply in respect of all office-bearers of BCCI and state/member associations so that no person will be entitled to hold an office immediately upon the conclusion of a three-year term either in BCCI or in state association until the exhaustion of the cooling-off period.”

Elections by new constitution

Among other directions sought from the court, CoA wants the board’s state/member associations to adopt the new BCCI constitution on or before December 31, 2017. CoA is of the view that BCCI’s AGM in September, when the elections to elect a new set of office-bearers will be held, should be conducted as per the new constitution.

Another recommendation is to have Kapil Dev, Anshuman Gaekwad, Bharat Reddy and GK Pillai in the steering committee for the formation of the Cricket Players’ Association.