ICA is India's first ever players' association formed as per recommendation of the Supreme Court-appointed Justice RM Lodha panel.
Finalising calendar for the 2020-21 home season of the Indian cricket team, appointment of ethics officer and release of funds to Indian Cricketers' Association (ICA) will be among the items on agenda at BCCI's second Apex Council meeting, in New Delhi, on Sunday. The Apex Council, which had its first and only meeting so far on November 30, is required to meet at least once in three months.
BCCI President Anurag Thakur has refused to speculate the fate of the ongoing Test series with New Zealand, but has categorically stated that the game cannot be run without money even as the Lodha Panel clarified it did not direct the banks to freeze cricket Board's accounts.
CoA head Vinod Rai had on September 8 informed that the draft for the new constitution of the BCCI has been made and it will be submitted in the court before September 19.
A marathon session of over a dozen hearings on implementation of Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha panel recommendations on structural reforms in the Board of Control for Cricket in India came to an end on Wednesday in the Supreme Court, which took the Indian cricket board to task over issues like fund utilisation and avoiding of performance audits.
Even as deadline for their crucial meeting with the Justice Lodha panel is approaching, the bigwigs of the Board of Control for Cricket in India are to meet, in Mumbai, on Tuesday to discuss the Supreme Court verdict upholding most of its appointed committee's recommendations for sweeping reforms in the Board.
The union minister for sports, Vijay Goel, on Monday made it clear that implementation of the Supreme Court verdict on Lodha Committee's recommended reforms will be purely BCCI's prerogative.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India said on Friday it is "not looking for an escape route" but needs to time to implement the Lodha Committee's recommendations on reforms in cricket administration.
The Supreme Court came down heavily on cash-rich BCCI on Tuesday, saying the cricket body was running like a "mutually beneficial society" and "practically corrupting" its members by not seeking any explanation on how crores of rupees allotted to them were being spent. While scrutinising the fund allocation and expenses of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the apex court also pulled it up for not giving funds to neglected states for promotion of cricket and said it has done nothing to encourage the game. It was also critical of the discrimination meted out to different states by BCCI and said the states begged for money from the board which follows a "no questions asked" policy as a method to buy votes in a certain manner. Lauding the work done by Justice R M Lodha-led committee for bringing out massive structural change in functioning of BCCI, the bench said "this is not an ordinary panel. It is a committee on which we have complete faith. It is committee of judges and its findings have to be relied upon. We cannot say that the findings are perverse."
With the BCCI threatening to call off the ongoing series between India and New Zealand, the Justice R M Lodha led panel on Tuesday clarified that they didn't direct the banks to freeze the accounts of the Board and it should carry on with its routine expenses. Fuming at the defiance of its recommendations, the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha panel had "directed" banks, where BCCI holds accounts, not to disburse "large" funds to the state associations, a decision taken by the Board at its Special General Meeting on September 30.
Former India Team Director Ravi Shastri on Friday voiced his concerns about the three-year 'cooling off' period proposed by Lodha Committee, stating that it would refrain former cricketers from joining BCCI Administration. Shastri feels that an administrator should get a minimum six-year term and made it clear that a huge country like India requires "five selectors", and not three, as recommended by the Supreme Court constituted Lodha panel.
The Supreme Court accepted major recommendations of the Lodha Committee on reforms in the Board of Control for Cricket in India, including a bar on ministers and civil servants and those above 70 from becoming its members, but left it to Parliament to decide whether it should come under RTI and betting on the game should be legalised.
The Supreme Court bench comprising of Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud warned if there is a false statement given by BCCI office bearers on affidavit, then perjury or contempt proceedings could be initiated.
Board of Control for Cricket in India president Anurag Thakur conceded that the current crisis facing the BCCI is not in the best interest of cricketers but the Board will have to keep everything on hold till Supreme Court gives it's verdict on January 3.
Former Indian team captain Bishan Singh Bedi and ex-cricketer Kirti Azad on Thursday batted in the Supreme Court for implementation of Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha committee's recommendation on structural reforms in the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
The demands include pension for former players who have played less than 25 first-class games, pension for widows of former cricketers, increase in medical insurance from Rs 5 lakh to 10 lakh and a benevolent fund for Manoj Prabhakar.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India could suffer a financial loss to the tune of Rs 1600 crore if the Justice Lodha panel's recommendations on curtailing advertisement breaks during the matches is implemented.
The Supreme Court-appointed high-level Committee, headed by former Chief Justice of India Rajendra Mal Lodha, proposed two-year suspensions on IPL franchises Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. Here's what the verdict means.
In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court on Monday removed Board of Control for Cricket in India president Anurag Thakur, while secretary Ajay Shirke was also removed from his post.
The Supreme Court appointed Justice RM Lodha panel, in an e-mail communication to all state association, has strictly instructed them not to "transfer or disturb" the recent funds disbursed as infrastructural subsidy.
"There is competition for almost every spot in the playing eleven and that can only be good for the Indian team," said Prasad, who heads a trimmed three-member selection panel post the Lodha Panel recommendations.
The BCCI on Sunday announced an open tender process for allocating the cash-rich Indian Premier League's global broadcasting rights, a move that conforms to the Lodha Committee recommendations on transparency. "We are happy to announce the tender process for IPL Global Media Rights (TV and Digital)," BCCI President Anurag Thakur announced in a press conference in New Delhi.
Vinod Rai, former Comptroller and Auditor General of India, former India women's captain Diana Edulji and banker Vikram Limaye were present at the meeting held at the IDFC Bank's premises in suburban Bandra-Kurla Complex.
'Fans' comfort should be top most in franchises' mind.'
The Supreme Court on Wednesday stated that the three-member panel of Vikram Limaye, Amitabh Choudhary and Anirudh Chowdhury will represent the Board of Control for Cricket in India at the International Cricket Council's meeting, starting in Dubai, on Thursday.
The Supreme Court has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India to follow the recommendations of the Justice R M Lodha Committee and "save trouble".
CoA takes away all functioning powers of BCCI office-bearers
Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming has said that he is uncertain about his future involvement with the IPL in the wake of a Supreme Court-appointed committee imposing a two-year ban on the Indian Premier League franchise.
The SGM has been convened to figure out a way forward after being told sternly by the country's apex court to 'fall in line' with the far-reaching consequences of the report.
BCCI president Shashank Manohar had made a fervent appeal to the Board's members ahead of its 86th AGM to lend their support to a few decisions which, according to him, were needed to protect the autonomy of the Board during its difficult times.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India, on Tuesday, moved the Supreme Court seeking disbursal of funds for conducting Rajkot Test that starts on Wednesday.
Veteran banker Vikram Limaye will soon leave BCCI's Committee of Administrators to head the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and that will a big loss to the the already trimmed panel, said COA member Diana Edulji.
In the wake of Lodha Committee report, the Board of Control for Cricket in India's top brass on Wednesday said the Board is still 'confused' over the kind of payments that can be made from the two bank accounts which had come under the scanner of the Supreme Court-appointed panel.
India's new selection committee has raised quite a few eyebrows with none of the five members having had a long career in international cricket. But to its credit BCCI followed a transparent process wherein it invited applications for the selection job for the first time and selected the best possible candidates who fitted all the criteria after a round of interview.
There was no clarity on whether Johri has submitted his response to the allegation, made by an anonymous accuser claiming to be his ex-colleague at a previous job.
Former Essex player Ian Pont, who is now engaged in coaching Indian bowlers at the Ultimate Pace Foundation in Bengaluru, tells Manu Shankar/Rediff.com you can never ensure that the spot-fixing episode won't resurface. 'All you can do is deal with it correctly when it happens.'
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has taken a big stride towards ending the pay disparity between Test and Indian Player League players. With an aim to make Test cricket financially more lucrative and attractive, the board has doubled the pay of India players. Such a move was speculated when reports emerged Friday evening that the board president Anurag Thakur himself hinted for a pay hike.
Sadly, the Lodha panel verdict on the IPL spot-fixing scandal of 2013 can't guarantee such incidents won't happen in the future, says Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.com.
Batting great Sachin Tendulkar and Dilip Vengsarkar are among 39 international players eligible to vote in the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) elections, scheduled to be held in Mumbai on October 4.
Sacked Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Ajay Shirke on Monday said he is 'absolutely fine' with the Supreme Court order asking him to leave office but hopes that the BCCI does not lose its international standing owing to the administrative upheaval.