The implementation of Justice RM Lodha Committee's recommendations, mandated by the Supreme Court to be effected in totality, took a new direction on Monday when members of the Indian cricket board decided to appoint a fresh committee to see "how best and quickly the principal order (of SC) can be implemented".

This comes a year-and-a-half after the Lodha Committee first unveiled the set of reforms in January last year and 11 months after the Supreme Court passed its final order, making it compulsory for BCCI to implement the reforms.

The new committee set to be appointed in a day or two, could include between five to seven members and will be given a fortnight to submit its first report. In a meeting that lasted close to three hours, half of the time was consumed in deciding over the formation of the new committee.

Majority of representatives were clear that the recommendations cannot be implemented without understanding the set of complexities involved. "The house deliberated in great detail and with a view to completing the implementation process constituted a committee, which will examine how best and quickly it can be implemented... those exceptional and limited areas of difficulty will be brought to notice of COA which will thereafter decide course of action," BCCI's acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary said.

Those left sniggering at BCCI's latest act of defiance, added with a sarcastic tone: "Took them a full year to think up a committee?"" However, BCCI office-bearers said: "It's still better to have a committee in place to look into the implementation than having meetings where people never arrive at any consensus whatsoever."

The SGM was chaired by BCCI's senior vice-president from south (Kerala) TC Mathew.

In effect, nothing has changed at all between the October 1, 2016 general body meeting and the one held on Monday, except for this new committee coming in place. To add to it, senior state association representatives who attended this meeting maintained that "in no way it is mandatory that this committee will have to submit its report before July 14".

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the matter involving the BCCI once again on July 14.

It becomes pertinent to add here that former BCCI president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke had been sacked by the SC in January this year for the very reason that they had been blocking the implementation of reforms.

It is to be seen how the SC will react to BCCI's defiant stance even as the CoA could tell the court that two Lodha panel recommendations - one-state, one vote and three-member selection committee - are not feasible.

(Courtesy: The Times of India)