With almost a year gone by without reforms in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) showing any signs of progress, the Supreme Court on Wednesday summoned BCCI Acting Secretary Amitabh Chaudhary to appear before it on September 19.
The direction came after the Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) headed by former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai gave a report blaming the BCCI for not implementing any of the recommendations of the Justice RM lodha Committee. They were later ordered to be implemented by the Supreme Court on July 18, 2016.
A three-judge Bench of Justices Dipak Misra, AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud directed Chaudhary to personally appear and explain the delay in implementation of its order.
The bench was clearly incensed with the Board's reluctance to reform. Senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, assisting the court as amicus curiae pointed out that the BCCI office-bearers - CK Khanna, Amitabh Chaudhary and Anirudh Chaudhary, were the key persons responsible for implementing the recommendations contained in SC order. He said they were answerable for failing to do so.
The Bench directed the CoA to prepare a draft constitution of the BCCI in line with the reforms proposed by the Court and lodha Committee. The key structural reforms contained in the SC order included one state, one vote, cap on age and tenure on office bearers of state cricket boards and BCCI.