The implementation of the Supreme Court order related to administrative reforms in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) dominated the second half of Monday’s Special General Body meeting. However, a majority of the opening session saw the State association representatives venting their anger against the modus operandi of the Committee of Administrators (CoA).

The Hindu understands that Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Madhya Pradesh representative, questioned the logic behind the CoA circulating its “decisions” among the members. He is also understood to have pointed out CoA’s double standards in following procedure with regard to BCCI’s decision-making.

“He questioned the logic behind involving the IPL governing council for the conduct of the league and ignoring the marketing committee, for instance, while inviting various bids,” said a member who attended the meeting, preferring anonymity.

According to another attendee, the BCCI hierarchy, including acting-secretary Amitabh Chaudhary and CEO Rahul Johri, appeared to have been taken aback by Scindia’s onslaught and asked Adarsh Saxena, the lawyer representing Cyril Amarachand Mangaldas, the firm representing CoA, to respond. “During his reply, Saxena mentioned that ‘CoA is the working committee’ and the BCCI veterans tore him apart for that comment.”

N. Srinivasan, who attended the meeting on behalf of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, ensured that Saxena’s response was recorded. He, along with Scindia and Maharashtra Cricket Association president Abhay Apte, asked for due procedure to be followed in all the decisions taken by the CoA during its six-month stint so far.

“It was demanded that since the BCCI constitution is yet to amended, all the CoA decisions should be routed through the concerned sub-committees,” said a former BCCI office-bearer, who also attended the meeting.

Despite the Supreme Court clarifying that last year’s order barred ineligible individuals from holding posts in State associations and/or the BCCI, Srinivasan’s nomination had come under the scanner.

The meeting was also briefed on the BCCI settling for the ICC’s revenue share offer of $405 million for the ongoing eight-year cycle from its central pool. The Shashank Manohar-led ICC dispensation had brought down the BCCI share to $293m from 570m, proposed by his predecessor Srinivasan, before the ICC revised it last week.
CoA chief Vinod Rai had complimented Chaudhary and Johri for getting a larger share for the BCCI, and the SGM was “satisfied” with the deal, according to Chaudhary.

However, Srinivasan is understood to have expressed his displeasure at the BCCI drifting away from the $570m deal.

In order to facilitate the return of international cricket to Pakistan, the ICC has recently announced a three T20I series between the host and World XI. Asked if the BCCI will allow Indian cricketers, if selected, to take part in the series, Chaudhary played it safe.

“We should wait till the selection of the World XI. If the matches were scheduled alongside any of our series, naturally our players can’t take part,” he said.

Ever since the Rajasthan Cricket Association saw Lalit Modi, banned for life from the BCCI, return as the president in 2014, it has been suspended by the BCCI. Now that Modi doesn’t hold a post in the association after the recent election, which saw his son losing the battle for president’s post, the SGM discussed revoking the suspension.
Chaudhary also informed that Assam and Jammu and Kashmir’s request for additional funds for completion of international stadiums have been kept on hold.

(Courtesy: The Hindu)