Fights and only fights: Fresh status report lists how BCCI officials stalling reforms

The Committee of Administrators has appealed to the Supreme Court to give its stamp of approval to the new constitution of the cricket Board that will permit only those state units conforming to the new rules in its annual general meeting. Eighteen Supreme Court hearings, since the appointment of the administrators, have produced scant results.

Submitting its ninth status report, running into 102 pages with many annexures ahead of Thursday’s hearing, the Supreme Court-appointed CoA has said the acting office-bearers of BCCI were placing hurdles at every step in the implementation of the Justice RM Lodha committee report.

The CoA has elaborated on its tussle with the BCCI officials, especially acting secretary, Amitabh Choudhary. The status report pleads that the officials’ refusal to sign on the new, enhanced player contracts until last month and going ahead with an SGM on June 22 – the CoA annulled its decisions – were attempts to undermine the apex court’s bid for reform in the sports body.

“The office-bearers of BCCI are, in collusion with various other persons who attended the June 22 SGM, clearly attempting to subvert and frustrate the orders passed by this honourable court by inserting limitations on the powers and duties of the CoA. This is being done with a view to hampering the ability of the CoA to effectively supervise the management of the BCCI through the CEO (Rahul Johri),” it said in the status report.

The report, signed by CoA chairman, Vinod Rai, says that the acting BCCI officials were drawing “artificial distinction between management and administration” to undermine the court-appointed body’s bid to cleanse the system.

Choudhary has denied this was the case. In an interview to this paper, he said: “The Supreme Court’s order of January 2 and 20, 2017, and on March 24, 2017 reiterated that office-bearers do exist. Had that not been the case, while removing the president and secretary, why did the court go to the extent of directing that the seniormost vice-president will act as president and joint secretary as secretary? If it (SC decisions) come into conflict with those of CoA, that in no way means I am in conflict personally.”

The CoA status report urges the court to finalise the new statute of the BCCI. It wants the court to finalise the constitution of the state units in terms of the new Board statute. It has proposed elections for all units after inducting all former internationals hailing from each state as voting members.

The CoA has also wants “the elevation of existing associate, affiliate members to full members with voting rights and induction of hitherto unrepresented states like Uttarakhand, Mizoram and Puducherry.”

The status report has also wants the court to issue orders allowing only the state unit representatives elected as per the modified constitution to attend the BCCI general body meeting.