Ganguly in working group to draw up roadmap for IPL-9

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly was on Monday named in the four-member working group formed to draw up the roadmap for IPL 9 even as the BCCI sought to dispel the notion that it was dilly-dallying in implementing the Justice R M Lodha Committee’s verdict, saying it has already accepted the order in totality.

The committee will be chaired by IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla and will have BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur and Treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhary as the other members. BCCI’s legal adviser U N Banerjee will assist the panel.

Announcing the names of the panel members, Shukla said the panel will study the implications of the Justice Lodha Committee report and draw up a roadmap for IPL 9, which will have a minimum of eight teams.

“The committee will have six weeks’ time to study the Lodha committee report and will give its recommendations after talking to all the stakeholders,” Shukla told PTI.

“The committee will also consult the legal experts before coming up with recommendations since we do not want any legal complications later on,” Shukla said.

The decision to form a working group was taken at the crucial IPL Governing Council meeting in Mumbai on Sunday where members discussed the Lodha Committee’s order, suspending Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals for two years in the IPL.

Shukla said that Ganguly, who is also a member of the IPL Governing Council, has been included in the group as a representative of players.

The IPL Chairman clarified that the BCCI will implement the Lodha Committee verdict in toto and the panel’s job is only to find the way forward so that preparations for IPL 9 can begin.

“We still have some time for IPL 9, so we should not take any hasty decision. We will follow the procedure and come to a consensus on all the matters relating to IPL,” Shukla said. He said that forming a working group was aimed at finding the procedures to implement the order and should not be seen as a delaying tactic.

“I want to make it very clear that the BCCI has already accepted the Justice Lodha committee verdict in toto. The working group has been formed to draw up the future roadmap of IPL 9. There is no question of any dilly-dallying,” he said.

“The order is accepted, now we are in the process of implementing it. For that we have formed a working group and that group has been given six weeks’ time to submit its recommendations,” he said. 

Shukla said the BCCI was not shirking from its responsibility and promised to deliver a “very successful” IPL 9 next year.

“IPL will be held with a minimum of eight teams. There will be no change in that. How we will proceed will be be recommended by the working group which will have discussions with all the stakeholders like the sponsors, broadcasters, franchisees and state associations,” he said.

Shukla said that the BCCI was aware that these issues have legal ramifications and would not like to invite any problem by taking a wrong decision.

“The procedures that we adopt will therefore be approved by our legal experts, that is why we need some time to give the recommendations,” he said. Shukla said the preparation for IPL 9 will start only after all these issues are resolved.

Asked whether the Lodha Committee’s order has dented the image of the IPL further, Shukla said people have faith in the product. “I don’t think IPL’s image has been dented. IPL 8 was one of the biggest success in the country and overseas. People have faith in IPL. The value has to be further enhanced and I am confident that we will be able to deliver a better edition next year,” he said.

“Whatever problems are brought to our notice, we try to resolve them in the best interest of the game. We have taken the Lodha Committee report in that same spirit. We are neither questioning, nor challenging, nor debating that order. So, why should people think that we are dilly-dallying?” he added.