THE COA RULE: FROM START TO FINISH
Jan 30, 2017: Supreme Court appoints four-member Committee of Administrators (CoA) to implement the Lodha Committee’s recommendation in the BCCI. Vinod Rai was the chief of the committee while other members were Diana Edulji, Ramachandra Guha and Vikram Limaye.
Feb 1: As per SC directives, empowers CEO Rahul Johri to administer the functioning of the BCCI and the IPL and report to them.
Feb 25: Decides to increase the salary of Team India support staff. It was backdated to June 1, 2016. March 22 & 23: Decides to pay one-time benefit amount to women’s cricketers who have represented India.
During the two-day meeting, the CoA also decides to revise the remuneration for contracted players. The remuneration for Grade A increases from ₹1 crore to ₹2 crore, Grade B from ₹50 lakh to ₹1 crore and Grade C from ₹25 lakh to ₹50 lakh. Also, match fees for T20 and ODIs were increased. March 27: CoA bars BCCI officers from decision making. Acting president CK Khanna, secretary Amitabh Choudhary and treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary are barred from making any statement on behalf of the BCCI.
March 28: Turns down a plan by the office-bearers to organise an IPL Governing Council meet. June 1: Guha quits the panel. In his email to Rai, he expresses his displeasure with its functioning. July 11: In its fourth status report, complains to the Supreme Court that N Srinivasan and Niranjan Shah are making attempts to stall the implementation of Lodha reforms.
July 14: Limaye quits the committee citing personal reasons.
July 24: SC bar Srinivasan and Shah from the July 26 BCCI SGM. August 16: In its fifth status report, the CoA urges SC to remove the current BCCI top brass for dilly-dallying implementation of Lodha reforms.
October 30: A draft constitution of the BCCI is submitted in the Supreme Court, incorporating suggestions of the Lodha panel on reforms.
August 9, 2018: SC accepts the draft constitution. SC alters the recommendations regarding the ‘One State, One Vote’ policy and the cooling off period for the office bearers.
August 21, 2018: The BCCI confirms the registration of the new SC-approved constitution. October 28: Forms three-member panel to probe sexual harassment case against CEO Johri. November 21: No consensus between Rai and Edulji over what punishment should be handed out to Johri. While Rai recommends counselling for Johri, Edulji felt that the unprofessional conduct of Johri will harm BCCI’s reputation. Rai prevails, Johri allowed to resume office. December 11: Edulji reveals the BCCI broke rules while appointing Ravi Shastri as a replacement for Anil Kumble.
December 12: Edulji slams Rai for appointing a new coach for women’s team without consulting her. While Edulji wanted Ramesh Powar to be retained, Rai had signed a BCCI media release, which stated that an ad-hoc committee was formed to shortlist and finalise the new coach.
January 24, 2019: Lifts suspension handed to KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya for making controversial comments about women as there was no ombudsman appointed. In April, Ombudsman DK Jain fines both 20 lakh. February 21: SC appoints Lt Gen Ravindra Thodge as the third member of the CoA.
March 18: BCCI plans to work with the NADA on a trial basis. May 21: CoA announces that the BCCI election will be held on October 22 in Mumbai. September 6: The CoA extends the deadline for completing association elections to September 28. Earlier, the deadline was September 14.
October 9: Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Maharashtra are barred from attending the BCCI AGM. October 14: Ganguly files nomination for BCCI president’s post. He is set to be elected unopposed.
October 18: Edulji, alongwith Shanta Rangaswamy and women’s selectors, pull up BCCI management over the appointments of ad-hoc assistant coaches for the Indian women’s team. October 21: SC passes an order bringing an end to CoA’s tenure. October 22: CoA’s last meeting held in Mumbai.