Is cricket administration in India heading for a change?
The Supreme Court has asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and all the state cricket associations why they should not be governed by the National Sports Governance Act, 2025.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana made the observation while hearing the applications filed by some cricket bodies.
Why did the SC seek response?
It started with a petition filed by the BCCI in 2014, which later, under the recommendations of the Justice R.M. Lodha committee, led to the framing of the BCCI’s constitution in 2018. The Lodha committee introduced age limits, cooling-off periods between tenures, and fixed terms for office bearers. These reforms were aimed at resolving administrative issues in the cricket body.
Yet, the SC, since 2014, has been handling litigations from the BCCI and state cricket associations on disputes related to factionalism over administrative control and for seeking minor changes in the constitution. In 2022, the SC had allowed modification of the BCCI's constitution and said that an office bearer can have continuous tenure of 12 years which includes six years in state association and six years in BCCI before the cooling-off period of three years.
It had said that an office bearer can serve on a particular post for two consecutive terms, both at the BCCI and the state association level, after which he would have to serve three years cooling-off period.
The constitution of the BCCI, which was earlier approved by the top court, stipulated a mandatory three-year cooling-off period for anyone who had served two consecutive terms of three years each in the state cricket association or the BCCI.
However, it is understood that the flow of petitions to the SC, filed by cricketing bodies, hasn’t reduced over the years.
But what role could the National Sports Governance (NSG) Act, 2025, play in the administration of cricket?
The Union Sports Ministry, in May this year, notified new rules under the NSG Act, which aims at the adjudication of disputes within sports bodies and for the improvement of sports management in the country. The act mandates a National Sports Board as the central regulatory authority responsible for recognising and monitoring national sports bodies. Its rules manadate these national sports bodies to be compliant with governance, financial, and ethical standards.
If the BCCI and state cricket associations agree to be governed under the NSG Act and its rules, all pending litigations before the SC relating to disputes and management of cricket bodies will be transferred to a dedicated sports tribunal.
