BCCI shouldn't offend SC while filing report: DDCA on Lodha Panel recommendations

Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) Treasurer Ravinder Manchanda on Monday said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should be watchful while filing its report before the Supreme Court regarding the adoption of the Justice Lodha Panel recommendations.

Manchanda said the report must not create an impression that the apex court's orders are being defied while explaining their difficulties in not being able to implement some of the recommendations.

"I think a way should be found, because a lot of people will be affected by the cooling off period, tenure and other things. But whatever decision is being taken, the BCCI should make sure that it should not appear in the eyes of the public and the court that we are defying the Supreme Court's orders. We can strongly request and plead before the Supreme Court that these are genuine difficulties," Manchanda told ANI.

Speaking to ANI, BCCI president Anurag Thakur had yesterday said that after deliberations, it has been decided to file a report before the Supreme Court on what can be accepted and what cannot be adopted by the cricket board.

Responding to the "one-state, one-vote" recommendation which elicited strong defiance from the Maharashtra and Gujarat cricket boards, Manchanda said, "As far as we are concerned, we have no other association in Delhi other than the DDCA, but certainly in Gujarat and Maharashtra, they are the pioneer associations, and if they lose their votes, naturally it will affect them. Now, the stage has come where we are left with no other alternative but to request the apex court."

Maharashtra and Gujarat have four and three cricket associations respectively as permanent members and if the said recommendation is implemented, it would be left with only one permanent member each in the BCCI, and smaller cricket-playing states like Manipur and Mizoram would be made new permanent BCCI members.

Responding to the 'cooling-off period, which has been criticised by former players like Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, the DDCA treasurer said, "There are no objections to the age tenure, but if you imply cooling off period after one term, it will be too much. As far as Delhi is concerned, a cooling off period can take place after completing nine years, but in any case the Supreme Court has recommended, so we have to follow it," Manchanda said.

"Cooling-off period" is a proposal to prevent an official from holding senior positions in the BCCI for several years at a stretch.

The BCCI, on Saturday, accepted many of the "significant recommendations" excluding the ---one-state one-vote, age limit of 70 years, cooling-off period of three years which included the tenure of the administrators, continue with the five-selectors and keeping to retaining the powers of the president and secretary as per the earlier constitution of the board are the other recommendations.

The Supreme Court hearing between the BCCI and the Lodha panel is set for October 6.