BCCI To Tell Supreme Court Why It Is Refusing to Implement Lodha Committee Reforms

The Supreme Court will hear the Board of Control for Cricket in India's response to the Lodha Committee's status report with regard to the BCCI implementing the panel's reforms that were approved by a Supreme Court order in July this year.

The BCCI has been steadfast in refusing to implement key changes recommended by the Lodha committee. The panel, headed by former Chief Justice of India RM Lodha, filed a status report in the Supreme Court on September 28 elaborating how the BCCI has not met timelines in implementing the reforms.

The Supreme Court admonished the BCCI and wanted it to "fall in line" or face consequences for contempt of court. The BCCI top brass could also be sidelined.

The following are the top 10 developments of the BCCI vs Lodha committee case:

1. On July 14, 2016, a two-judge Supreme Court bench, that included the Chief Justice of India TS Thakur, empowered the Lodha panel to implement a series of reforms to bring in more transparency in BCCI's style of governance. The committee suggested major reforms that included age caps, tenure restrictions, one-man-one-post, one state-one-unit, among others. The reforms were binding and would apply to the Board as well as its state units.

2. Lodha panel set BCCI two deadlines - September 30 to make constitutional changes (adopt the Memorandum of Association and Rules) and December 15 for the Board to form a nine-member Apex committee that will replace the powerful working committee

3. Unhappy with the reforms, BCCI appointed former Supreme Court judge Justice Markandey Katju to review the Lodha panel recommendations. Katju called the Lodha panel "unconstitutional and illegal." The BCCI promptly filed a review petition in the Supreme Court in July

4. Acting on Katju's advise, the BCCI also announced the date of its AGM (September 21). Katju said there was nothing wrong in the BCCI staging its AGM as it was governed by the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975 and only the Registrar could take action against the BCCI, not a court-appointed committee.

5. In August, BCCI secretary met the Lodha committee saying the AGM will conduct "routine" business. On the contrary, the Board advertised inviting applications for the post of selectors. Its agenda also includes formation of a new working committee and even an ombudsman - all in defiance of Lodha panel orders.

6. Lodha panel filed a status report to the Supreme Court on September 28, complaining of non-compliance of its orders. The panel wants BCCI's top brass to be "superseded". Thakur wants BCCI "to stop behaving like Lords and fall in line."

7. A defiant BCCI failed to meet its first deadline and instead called a Special General Meeting on September 30 to discuss implementation of Lodha reforms. The SGM is adjourned by a day because several members turns up without letters to represent their units.

8. On October 1, BCCI cherry picked many recommendations made by the Lodha panel but makes no decision on the itchy proposals like one-state-one-unit and age and tenure caps for officials. BCCI also decided to disburse large sums of money (approximately 500 crores) to state units as grants.

9. Lodha committee told BCCI's bankers - Bank of Maharashtra and Yes Bank - to stop disbursing grants to state units without its approval. BCCI president Anurag Thakur tells media that freezing of accounts will force Board to cancel the India vs New Zealand Test series.

10. Justice Lodha clarified on October  4 that BCCI was misinterpreting or deliberately twisting its order to the banks. The freeze was only on the huge grants made to state units and did not impact routine affairs like hosting Test matches.