BCCI SGM: 'Committee' to be formed to implement SC order

The two hour and 45-minute long Special General Meeting, attended by controversial former BCCI president N Srinivasan, did not take any decisive call as requested by the Committee of Administrators during a meeting with state units on Sunday. "Today (Monday), we had the SGM with an eight-point agenda, the most important of which was the implementation of the principal Supreme Court order dated July 18 (2016). The house deliberated in great detail and with a view to completing the implementation process constituted a committee, which will examine how best and quickly it can be implemented," BCCI's acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhary told media persons after the meeting.

"It will be constituted tomorrow and should have its first recommendations in a fortnight's time. It's left to the office bearers and 5-6 members of the general body," said the acting Board secretary.

Chaudhary said that the committee will start working in the next two days. The principal issues are 'one state one vote', age cap of 70 years, cooling off period after every three years and reinstatement of a five-member selection panel instead of current three, although Choudhary did not elaborate. "Committee will go into each and every action point necessitated by the principal judgement and only those exceptional and limited areas of difficulty will be brought to notice of COA which will thereafter decide course of action," said Choudhary. "The Court's order has to be implemented. If meeting went on for two and a half hours, item no 1 (on agenda) consumed in excess of an hour. There was no voting and it (panel) was unanimously constituted," he declared. "I should think so - that it (report) will go to general body. Committee will start its work in two days and the rest will follow," he said. Choudhary said it was up to the affiliated units of the BCCI to decide who will represent them at the SGM when asked how Srinivasan, because of who the Board got into trouble in the past with the Supreme Court, could attend the meeting. "Notice for a meeting says all member units of BCCI are requested to attend the meeting. As to which individual is chosen it's their (units') discretion as long as it does not violate any court order,"

he remarked.

On some of the other issues like bilateral engagement with Pakistan, Chaudhary reiterated the BCCI's stance that it can only play the arch-rivals if permitted by the government. "On the 29th of last month we had a meeting (with PCB officials) which had become necessary as a result of a letter written by us, the BCCI, in April, 2014. They had invoked a provision of that letter and a dialogue was necessitated. Thereafter we had to meet them again in presence of ICC. On both occasions our position was simple that tours of these natures can take place only after we have government permission," said the acting BCCI secretary.