BCCI may request for an informal meeting with Lodha panel

Manohar

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will today officially meet to find ways to brace itself against the Justice Lodha Committee's recommendations which are likely to have a far-reaching effect on the way the cricket is administered in the country.

Manohar

The Supreme Court has already hinted that if the BCCI fails to implement those recommendations, they will be forced to pass an order in that regard. The apex court has given the BCCI time till March 3 to respond.

The BCCI has called for a Working Committee and Special General Meeting at the Cricket Centre in Churchgate.

The Working Committee will discuss the problems state units are facing in organising ICC World T20 which is scheduled for next month in India and the financial ramifications after the BCCI president and International Cricket Council's chairman Shashank Manohar proposed to abolish the ‘Big Three' system where countries like India, Australia and England take away a major chunk of the ICC revenue.

However, the Special General Meeting is expected to utilise the maximum time where the Lodha Committee's recommendations will be discussed. After talks with several associations, the house is divided. The points of contentions are: Prescription to limit office-bearers age to 70 years; one state-one-vote (which will directly affect the associations within the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat) and barring of ministers and government officials from holding BCCI posts.

The BCCI, it is learnt, will request the Supreme Court for an informal meeting with Lodha Commission to apprise them about their problems in the implementation of some recommendations. "Let's take into account one of the recommendations where commercial breaks between overs should be stopped. If that is implemented, the BCCI will suffer a huge loss in revenue. TV rights is a major chunk of BCCI's revenue," said an official. Most members are likely to agree with BCCI president Manohar seeking an appointment with the Lodha Commission. "The Board has already implemented many recommendations suggested by them.

"There are certain practical problems in implementing other recommendations," said the official.