Having stepped down as president of the embattled Indian Cricket Board that is facing the heat from the Supreme Court, Shashank Manohar on Saturday said he quit as he was not capable of implementing the recommendations of the Justice lodha Committee and see BCCI's structure collapsing.
"I did whatever was good and in the interest of the Board even before the lodha committee recommendations were given. I'm not a person who is capable of implementing them," the Nagpur lawyer, who has become the first independent chairman of the ICC, told reporters here.
"There may be more capable people in this Board than me who can implement these. I can't see an organisation being destroyed which has been built by so many persons," he said.
"Today in the entire world of cricket India is doing better in administration, infrastructure, cricket and finances. What more can you expectIJ No institution in this world is perfect," Manohar explained.
He said the Board had already implemented 75 per cent of the lodha panel's recommendations for sweeping reforms in the BCCI, but had reservations on a few of them which, he felt, were not good for the game.
"When I took over this Board, the lodha Committee work was in progress. Even before the recommendations came many of them had already been implemented by the Board. Seventy five per cent of the recommendations of the committee are very good. But I have reservations about 4-5 recommendations which are not in the interest of the Board," Manohar said.
He charted them out one by one and also explained the reasons.
The ones he said that cannot be implemented were: No TV advertisement between overs, one state one association, having franchise representatives in the IPl governing council, players sitting in the working committee, cutting down the selection panel from five to three members and cooling off period for office bearers.
He also said as per the principles of natural justice the BCCI should have been called by the lodha committee for deposing before submitting its recommendations to the Supreme Court.
On the recommendation that no advertisement should be shown in between overs, Manohar said: "It will destroy financial structure of the Board. It has appointed an agency to monitor that during telecast all six balls are shown and there's a penalty of termination clause in the contract itself if all six balls (in an over) are not shown.
"The Board generates its revenue through advertisements booked. The Board gets Rs 43 crore per game and if this is implemented the revenue will come down to only 15-20 per cent of what it is getting, from Rs 2,000 crore to 400 crore that will be Rs 300 crore after tax.
"As it is Star, the official broadcasters for BCCI, had written a letter to me when the recommendations came that they will like to renegotiate the contract as it was impossible to pay Rs 43 crore if ads (in between overs) were not shown,” he said.
Detailing expenses in conducting games, Manohar said, "For organising (seniors) matches and tours Rs 90-100 crores goes and Rs 125 crores are distributed to the players. Then the infrastructure has to be maintained by each association that needs Rs 2-3 crore per year excluding matches to be played. All these things will not be possible (if the recommendations are implemented).”
He added: "One state-one association recommendation is not correct. There is no equal representation in the Parliament for all states. The Supreme Court appoints judges from various states. There are more judges from Mumbai and Kolkata and there may not be anyone from the North East. It (rule) has to apply to everything.”