Supreme Court curbs BCCI’s financial powers

TIL Desk Sports/ Cricket board BCCI shouldn’t release funds until state associations commit to Lodha panel reforms, says Supreme Court. The state cricket associations can’t get any money from BCCI till the time they follow Lodha committee recommendations. The Lodha panel will appoint independent auditors to screen contracts.

The Supreme Court asks BCCI president Anurag Thakur to give an undertaking to comply with the Lodha Panel recommendations and court orders. The Supreme Court on Tuesday had deferred its hearing by two weeks on a petition filed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India seeking a review of its July 18 verdict directing it to implement the recommendations of Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha panel on massive structural reforms in the BCCI.

The BCCI faced the wrath of the apex court for its defiant attitude in implementing the directions of the Lodha committee to reform cricket in the country. The court also rebuked the cricket body for hurriedly disbursing around Rs 400 crore to state bodies. A bench led by Chief Justice of India TS Thakur said that BCCI’s defiant attitude will not lead anywhere. It further emphasised that transparency, fairness, and objectivity were most important aspects in all decisions including disbursal of funds by BCCI.