JOIN USLodha clarifications rein in more administrators
The Lodha Committee on Thursday closed the door on more officials aspiring to stay on in cricket administration, stating that a nine-year term either in a state association or at the BCCI would mean end of the road for them.
In the Frequently Asked Questions published on its website, the panel said its position on the matter has changed, following the Supreme Court orders on January 2 and 3. The ruling means the likes of Brijesh Patel, who has been at the helm of the Karnataka State Cricket Association for more than nine years, will be disqualified from administration.
“In view of the order dated 2.1.2017 as amended by the order dated 3.1.2017, an individual is disqualified from being the office-bearer of the BCCI or the state/member association if he/she has been an office-bearer of the BCCI or the state/member association for 9 years,” the Lodha panel said.
“For example, one who has been the office-bearer of a state association for 9 years is disqualified from returning to cricket administration either at the BCCI or at any state association. Similarly, one who has been an office-bearer at the state for 5 years and then at the BCCI for 4 years is also disqualified,” the panel said.
The panel made it clear that the sacked BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke cannot be Maharashtra Cricket Association’s representative in BCCI meetings while there was not much cheer for Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Sourav Ganguly either. Come June, Ganguly will have to go for a compulsory cooling-off period of three years, having completed three years at the state association as secretary and president.
On a question whether a disqualified office-bearer can act as the representative/nominee of a member association or the BCCI, the panel said: “In keeping with the spirit of the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s judgement, a disqualified office-bearer is no longer to be associated with cricket administration. He/She is disqualified from being a representative or nominee of the member association or the BCCI and cannot discharge any other role in or on behalf of the association or the BCCI. He/She cannot function within the association in any patron or advisory capacity nor be a member of a committee or council.”
Another question was directly related to Ganguly, whose name was doing rounds for the BCCI president’s post. “If an individual has been an existing office bearer in a state/member association for 2 years, is he eligible to contest for the next elections without the 3 year cooling-off period applying to him? If yes, what will be the term of his office?
The answer states: “If at the time of the election the existing office-bearer has not completed a period of 3 years, he is eligible to contest the election. However, he will not have a full term and will have to demit office immediately upon the continuous 3-year period being completed.”
The panel clarified that if the posts of assistant treasurer or assistant secretary is mentioned as office-bearer in a member unit’s constitution, then they also would come under the tenure rule.
“For example, in an association where the constitution refers to the assistant treasurer as office-bearer and if a person has occupied that post for 3 years and also been secretary for 6 years, he stands disqualified.”
The panel said if state associations don’t have pending cases against them, they can go ahead with elections after conforming to the new set of reforms.