Top court hearing on reforms put off

LOT OF GROUND NEEDS TO BE COVERED IN IMPLEMENTING REFORMS AS SOME UNITS ARE NOT READY TO MAKE CHANGES IN FULL.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court hearing scheduled on February 23 to monitor implementation of reforms in the Board of Control for Cricket in India has been postponed.

The top court had set the previous hearing on January 29, but fresh arguments on the implementation of the Justice RM Lodha Committee recommendations by the BCCI office-bearers and state associations could not be taken up.

With the Supreme Court yet to give fresh directions, the interim office-bearers have continued to run the board. Petitioner Aditya Verma of the Cricket Association of Bihar said the court’s direction was required to fill two of the four vacant positions in the Committee of Administrators.

The strength of the COA, headed by former CAG, Vinod Rai, and including former women’s cricket team captain, Diana Edulji, has been reduced to half after banker Vikram Limaye and then cricket historian Ramchandra Guha quit.

Lot of ground needs to be covered in implementing reforms in the BCCI as some units are still not ready to make changes in full as directed by the Court-appointed Lodha panel.

Verma said the apex court had directed BCCI that Bihar, which is still awaiting re-affiliation to the BCCI, must be allowed to play in all domestic competitions this year, but it is yet to be implemented.

“The Vijay Hazare Trophy (one-day tournament) started this month, but there is no Bihar in it. And no players from the state were forwarded to be registered for IPL,” said Verma, adding that it amounted to flouting the court order.