The Lodha Committee orders have flaws, but they do not outweigh the need for measures for a better-run sport in cricket-crazy India
The Anurag Thakur-led BCCI, time and again, has given the impression that they are not coy to defy the Lodha Committee
ADVERTISEMENT
Test No. 500 at Green Park in Kanpur, 250th home Test at Eden Gardens in Kolkata and now a Test debut for the Holkar Stadium in Indore, a town soaked in cricketing history. CK and CS Nayudu, Mushtaq Ali, Chandu Sarwate and other deceased greats of the famous Holkar team which made an impact in the early days of the Ranji Trophy, must be smiling from the heavens. Madhavrao Scindia too, because all his cricketing dreams were about taking Madhya Pradesh cricket forward.
It’s supposed to be celebration time in Indian cricket, but off the field it’s mucky and near-unplayable.
The Supreme Court-backed Lodha Committee has got the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in its palms while the BCCI is trying its best to escape.
The Lodha Committee’s efforts to cleanse the game in India are laudable and probably no one else could challenge the Board in such a relentless manner. Autonomy, which the cricket establishment often prides itself on, has now taken a new meaning altogether.
Who knows, by this afternoon, the current office bearers could be displaced and a Supreme Court-appointed committee may be entrusted with the job of running the Board.
It’s amazing and appalling that the Anurag Thakur-led BCCI, time and again, has given the impression that they are not coy to defy the Lodha Committee. Non-Test players were picked as national selectors and instead of the Lodha-desired three-man selection committee, five-member panels were picked. In fact, candidates were asked in their interviews whether they prefer a three-man or five-man panel for the health of Indian cricket. Ultimately, the Board went by their constitution and appointed five-member panels. We also read new reports that the former players interviewed preferred a five-member panel. Was this question asked to them in order to build strong opinion and use it as a tool to get their way? If BCCI believe such tactics will work, why not improve their relations with the media in the right way?
Last Friday, when the Special General Meeting was adjourned, there was no official word on why the meeting was pushed to the following day. Why wasn’t a press conference held immediately after the meeting to provide the right picture instead of the media chasing Board members for ‘dope’ on the meeting as they left the premises? The problem is that the BCCI want to meet the media only when it suits them.
The Lodha Committee appears to be on the right track to clear cricket’s mess, barring a few issues. The one state, one vote order doesn’t seem fair to all state associations. This is abundantly unfair to a premier unit like Mumbai Cricket Association who have to vote by turn with Maharashtra Cricket Association and Vidarbha Cricket Association, and also share Board subsidies with them. The state of Gujarat will have to cope with a similar fate since there exists the Gujarat Cricket Association, Baroda Cricket Association and Saurashtra Cricket Association.
The nine-year term (with a cooling off period after every three years in one post) too seems unfair to good administrators and truth be told, there are some fine administrators who genuinely want to contribute to Indian cricket. Why would a former player get into administration for a maximum time of nine years that would be interspersed by a cooling off period? Has any thought been given to state associations who will lose their experienced hands as soon as the Lodha orders come into play?
Yes, the Lodha orders have flaws, but they do not outweigh the need for measures that will bring about a better-run sport. Remember what Justice Lodha told the media in the Capital on July 18 when he made his committee’s measures public: “Our call was not restrict or limit the BCCI and its good work. But our year-long effort was to remove the ailing parts, revitalise the body so that it could run a marathon for the betterment of the game. Our job was to restore the pristine glory of the game of which 1.28 billion of the country is passionate for.”
I must stress that the BCCI has done some great work to make cricket the most popular sport in the land and the manner in which they look after their current and former players is unmatched. Only recently, I got a message from a deceased player’s wife informing me of the academic progress her son has made and how she is so grateful to the BCCI because the pension scheme helped her provide him the education.
Understandably, it’s hard for the BCCI to cope with the Lodha Committee being an umpire, but just like a batsman accepts the umpire’s decision, so should they and let the game go on.
mid-day’s group sports editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance. He tweets @ClaytonMurzello. Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
