 "Anurag Thakur")
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has accepted many of the "significant recommendations" of the Supreme Court appointed Justice Lodha Committee, however, excluding some important ones that remain a bone of contention between the cricket regulatory body and the Lodha Panel.
The recommendations, turned down by the 30-member committee included the one-state-one-vote policy, the age limit and the three-year cooling-off period for BCCI members and staff officials and the replacement of the existing five-member selection committee. It also insisted on retaining the powers of the president and secretary, which were a part of the constituional amendements suugested by the Lodha panel.
"Many significant recommendations of the Lodha panel have been accepted by the members of the special General Meeting. However, wherever they find there are legal challenges or technical difficulties, they have given their view points and have not accepted those recommendations," said BCCI president, Anurag Thakur, according to media reprts.
"BCCI has always been very open about the reforms. We believe in transparency, accountability and professionalism. We said that on day one and have done that in the last 18 months," he added. The meeting was adjourned on technical grounds on September 30.
The recommendations which were adopted unanimously include induction of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) representaive into the apex council and the IPL Governing Council, formation of the apex council with modifications and the formation of suggested committees including a special committee for the differently-abled and a Women's Committee, among others.
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The board members agreed to constitute a Players Association and ensure its representation in the Committee, apart from giving unanimous nod to allow voting rights to associate members, as per ICC guidelines.
The SGM also accepted a code of conduct involving the practice of doping and sledging among players which will be implemented in the next IPL season.
With regard to a 15-day gap between the national calendar and the IPL, the BCCI said it is not possible to implement the gap in the upcoming season in 2017 as the ICC's Champions Trophy is scheduled around the same time in England.
The Supreme Court hearing, involving the rift between the BCCI and the Lodha panel, is set for October 6.
Earlier on September 28, the Justice Lodha Committee submitted its status report with the Supreme Court, accusing the BCCI of defying the apex court's orders and stalling its proposed reforms.
Tearing into the BCCI for ignoring the directions of the Lodha panel, the apex court had directed the cricket governing body to respond to the panel's report before October 6.
The panel, formulated in the wake of the 2013 IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal, had recommended a set of sweeping reforms for the BCCI.
Soon after the approval of proposals, the panel had served two deadlines for BCCI, asking it make changes in its constitution by September 30 and replace the existing working committee with a nine-member apex committee by December 15.
