Almost all state units are likely to object to the ‘cooling-off clause’ implemented by the Supreme Court based on the Lodha Committee recommendations, The Indian Express reported.
According to the report, the consensus among the state bodies is that the suggestion is ‘impractical’ and they want it removed from the draft BCCI constitution.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday had hinted that it might re-look the one-state-one-vote clause, and the number of national selectors. It asked the state associations and the cricket board office-bearers to give fresh suggestions on the draft BCCI constitution – submitted by the Committee of Administrators (CoA) – before the next hearing on May 11.
As per the Lodha panel recommendations, the office-bearers should have a cooling-off period of three years after each term of three years, with a maximum of three terms.
The report also mentioned an unnamed BCCI official, who said that 13 state associations – “Mumbai, Maharashtra, Kerala, Andhra, Goa, Vidarbha, Railways, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Universities, Jharkhand, Assam and Tripura” – are in favour of implementing the Lodha reforms barring the suggestions on ‘cooling off period’ and on the replacement of the Working Committee with a nine-member Apex Council.
“A new person coming to the BCCI or the state associations needs three years to get settled. After that if he is told to go, then what interest he will be having (with regard to putting in a vision)?” Maharashtra Cricket Association secretary Riyaz Bagwan told The Indian Express. He also called the Apex Council an ‘impractical thing’.
Former BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah concurred with Bagwan. “Continuity is a major thing in any organisation, which is why the cooling-off clause is a major issue. Also, I think Working Committee is better than Apex Council for running cricket, because the decision-making at the Working Committee would be more democratic,” he was quoted as saying.
“We will also mention the age cap, because 70 is not a very old age now. That can be applicable to office-bearers but we are not in favour of totally excluding people above 70 years of age from the organisation,” Shah added.