The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) can now proceed with signing the memorandum of understanding with its English counterpart days before the commencement of the bilateral series, after receiving a clarification from the Justice Lodha Committee. The board was informed that the document related to the bilateral series does not form a part of its mandate and thus it was upto the BCCI to sign it. Any financial payments required to fulfil the MoU would be provided after the board president and secretary furnished an affidavit complying with the proposed cricket reforms as per the Supreme Court order. The England team arrived in Mumbai on Wednesday evening and will be based there ahead of the five Test match series starting November 9 in Rajkot.
In a cryptic mail sent to the Indian cricket board after a meeting of the three member committee led by former chief justice RM Lodha, the panel clarified, “The proposed MoU between BCCI and ECB concerns bilateral cricketing policy, the formulation of which is not a part of the mandate of the committee. As far as payments are concerned, if they are to be made directly by the BCCI, no directions can be given by this committee until relevant details are furnished by the BCCI.”
England cricket team captain Alastair Cook arrives in bus at a hotel in Mumbai on Wednesday for the forthcoming test series | PTI
The committee once again advised BCCI that to ensure smooth running of the game, at both the domestic and international level, it should comply fully with the apex court orders. The committee had previously slammed the board for “cherry picking reforms”.
“To avoid any hindrance to the cricketing calendar and to ensure the continued enjoyment of the sport by its aficionados, the BCCI would be well advised to comply with the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in its orders dated 18th July 2016, 7th October 2016 and 21st October 2016,” the email said.
BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke had shot “urgent” mails to the committee asking for directions ahead of the England series. The Lodha committee informed the board in unequivocal terms that identification and appointment of vendors was not its job but that of the board. “Please note that neither identification nor appointment of vendors or contractors is the task or function of the committee. The Committee is only required to fix a threshold value and approve awards of contracts above it.”
It also stated that payments to state associations could be possible only after the board and its member states furnished affidavits of full compliance as per the SC order of October 21. It also demanded that the BCCI submit, within 5 days, the Deloitte report that they had commissioned related to financial audits of member states. The audit was commissioned by former BCCI president Shashank Manohar when he took charge last year.
The mail ended with a polite but no-nonsense reminder to the BCCI that it need not be incumbent upon the committee to respond to all BCCI queries. It would give directions as and when deemed necessary. “It has been made clear that the committee is not an adversary as has been made out in your Indian Express interview dated 18th October 2016 and the press advisory dated 24th October 2016. The committee will issue directions from time to time in terms of the orders of the Supreme Court but not as a response to your mails” said the Lodha Committee email.
