BCCI Bosses Like Dictators, Not Bigger Than Cricket: Justice Lodha

Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha (retd.) on Tuesday likened the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) top brass as 'dictators', saying that 'they are not bigger than the game'.

Head of the Supreme Court-appointed three-member panel investigating and reforming the BCCI, Lodha was reacting to BCCI president Anurag Thakur's comments regarding the "freezing of bank accounts" that apparently put the ongoing Test series between India and New Zealand in jeopardy.

"The game is bigger than BCCI officials. There is no restraint on the India-New Zealand matches and they should go on. God help them if BCCI twists the panel's report," Lodha told NDTV, clearly hinting that the Board and its bankers did not interpret the committee's e-mail properly.

On Monday, Justice Lodha had directed banks, where BCCI holds accounts, not to disburse funds for financial decisions taken by the BCCI at its Special General Meeting (SGM) on September 30.

On Tuesday, he told them to unblock the accounts, after reports quoting BCCI officials emerged that the Lodha committee's decision on bank freeze put the Test series in trouble.

"It is clearly stated in the mail that we have told them (the banks) to stop disbursing large funds to state associations. We have not told them to stop payments on routine matters.

"If anyone says something I can't stop it. We have not ordered them to stop distributing funds on routine matters. Conducting a series is a routine matter," Lodha said.

The BCCI has been contesting the recommendations made by the Lodha committee to bring changes in its governance. The Supreme Court had approved the proposals in July this year.

"Dictators do good work, but they are not good for democracy. Once Supreme Court approves something, it is binding. Let's wait and see how BCCI responds to our report on Thursday," said Justice Lodha.

The apex court will hear the BCCI on October 6.

The storm over the bank accounts is the latest instalment of a pitched battle between the BCCI and the Lodha committee which last week recommended that the entire brass, including Thakur, be sacked for ignoring its recommendations for reforms.

Earlier in the day, Thakur said, "Cannot say anything about the India-New Zealand series. The BCCI is the richest board that hosts the Indian Premier League, but we have to deal with matters like this. Without the funds how do we play? How can we function, how can we make payments to the players and the various stakeholders?

"Our accounts have been frozen without even communicating with us. Is this how you treat the world's richest cricket body which has run the sport so efficiently? It has completely destroyed our hard-earned reputation," added Thakur.

The series with New Zealand has a Test match and five One-Day Internationals (ODI) remaining. The third and final Test is scheduled to start this Saturday in Indore. India are leading the series 2-0.