KSCA too has issues with Lodha report

With the Board of Control for Cricket in India set to discuss the Justice Lodha panel report on reforming the Indian Board in its SGM on Friday in Mumbai, the Karnataka State Cricket Association has submitted its reservations against implementing some of the contentious recommendations.

The KSCA deliberated on the recommendations in two Executive Committee meetings, besides soliciting views from its legal committee, before compiling its views.

“We are fine with the recommendations on transparency,” KSCA spokesman Vinay Mrityunjaya told Deccan Herald. However, the KSCA, like most other associations, isn’t happy with suggestions such as age limit (70 years) to hold an office, number of terms for each person, the three-year cooling period between each term and the restriction on holding offices in both state unit and BCCI.

“So far as age limit is concerned, there should be some relaxation. If the person is fit and able to contribute in an honorary post, there’s no harm in allowing him to hold office. His experience and knowledge will be useful in the running of an association,” Vinay pointed out.

The KSCA, in its submission, has said there is no need to resign from the state unit if a person takes up a position in BCCI. “When you go to BCCI, one of your main jobs is to further the cause of his state association. If one were to give up that post, there will be a disconnect which is not desirable,” he reasoned.

Perhaps the most contentious of the recommendations, the restriction on number of terms, expectedly has received a thumbs down. Lodha panel wants a person to serve for a maximum of three terms of three years each in different positions with a cooling off period of three years after each tenure.

“The cooling period means you lose touch with administrative issues,” he pointed out. “And insofar as number of terms is concerned, we feel a person should be allowed hold each office (president, secretary, vice-president, treasurer) for one term without a cooling off period.”

KSCA also said it has no issues with politicians becoming administrators as their presence helps deal with nagging administrative issues. The one-state one-vote suggestion may affect states like Maharashtra and Gujarat who have three units each with voting rights but KSCA wants the status quo to be maintained.

“We want the existing voting system to continue but at the same time we also feel units like Bihar and other states should get recognition with ‘weighted average’. We want the BCCI to monitor the spending of grants by these associations for certain period before giving them voting rights.”