Lodha panel asks banks to de-freeze BCCI accounts; SC verdict to resolve face-off
New Delhi: Hitting out at the Lodha panel for freezing bank account of the BCCI, board president Anurag Thakur on Tuesday categorically stated that the game cannot be run without money.
“Most state units were unsure how they will be able to host games in this home season. They need to decide whether they can host the games or not, with or without money,” Thakur said.
Such was the ferocity of the board’s reaction that the Lodha panel had to back off asking the banks to de-freeze the accounts so that the BCCI could conduct its business.
Talking to FC, Justice R.M. Lodha clarified, “There is no question of cancellation of any game or series. The directive, which we issued to BCCI yesterday in our email, is confined to disbursement of large funds to the state associations. And banks have been directed to ensure the compliance of that, nothing beyond that. Routine expenses for matches, games, cricketing activities and other administrative matters, they are not at all restrained. There is absolutely no prohibition, there is no constraint, the accounts of BCCI have not been frozen.” The caveat is obviously then on “large” disbursals.
A very calm Justice Lodha added with his counter coming thick and fast, “Our mandate was to see whether a handful of people were controlling the game through a monopoly. In a democracy, there is a vast gene pool of talent available with many equally capable. We needed to usher in transparency and best of breed corporate governance practices. Our task was clearly to supervise implementation of the judgement, we find there are impediments and we have informed the SC of the same. There is no face-off, on October 6, the SC will see them pass an appropriate order.”
Further, he added, “Our decision was based on what we saw happening in the Emergent Meeting of the board. The decision on the disbursement policy to associations taken on September 30 warranted corrective measures and we took them. Unfortunately, this was misread and misinterpreted by the banks and BCCI. Our directions will not impact BCCI’s day-to-day functioning.”
The clarification came at a time when the cricket board and Lodha Panel are involved in a full-scale verbalised offensive. A furious Thakur said that, “The BCCI is known all over the world for running a spiffy, cash-rich organisation which is ploughing money back into the game and rewarding old and current cricketers, is this the way to restrict us? Without the funds how do we play? How can we function, how can we make payments to the players and the various stakeholders? We have hiked the players’ fee from Rs 7 lakh per game to Rs 15 lakh per Test, you cannot dictate terms to us in this manner.”
Continuing in an aggressive mien, he argued, “Is this how you treat the world’s richest cricket body which has run the sport so efficiently? It has completely destroyed our hard-earned reputation. They want a contempt case filed against me because I invited them to watch the domestic tourney - Ranji Trophy - they said it is derogatory. How can you assess the conduct of the world’s largest domestic tournament while sitting in hotel rooms, you have to come to the stadium.”
While public opinion has been mobilised by the Lodha Panel which is attempting to clean the Augean stables by nixing long standing zamindaris and jagirdaris in the cricket board, freezing the accounts appeared to be an unkind cut. Thakur says that the board cannot be muzzled in this manner.”Reach out to the BCCI office-bearers, have a dialogue across the table with us. In any case, aren’t we adopting pretty much all recommendations despite it being in contravention when viewed from the prism of the Tamil Nadu Societies Act under which the board is registered?”
The Kiwis who are in India are still to play the third Test at Indore followed by five one dayers. And while the board is willing to be malleable on some of the reforms, it remains defiant and steadfast on some of the crucial sticking points. Lodha Panel has cracked down on the board satraps, in the main capping age and tenure restrictions for top officials, as well as banning them from serving successive terms.
Thakur says, this is not an open and shut case on which his Lordship can take a view on, “They met us before the recommendations were revealed in public domain, but have never bothered to meet with the board bosses after the the report was put out. They gave us six months time, but now it is a veritable Mexican standoff. Both our curative and review petition has not been heard, there is no news on either from the apex court. on October 6, our senior counsels led by K K Venugopal will go back to list our case.”
Public sentiment till now was firmly against the board particularly due to the shenanigans and skulduggery during board president N Srinivasan’s tenure where betting, spot fixing, police investigations engulfed the game.
Thakur answers that by saying, “We are open to reforms, we don’t have a closed mind set, but give us an opportunity to list our version. Let us have a dialogue instead of this monologue which is one way street telling us what to do and what not to do.”
It is clear that the war is far from over, these skirmishes will only get graver and more pointed. Over to the Supreme Court and its final verdict in the matter on Thursday.
