BCCI to conduct AGM despite Lodha panel warning

Despite repeated warnings from the Lodha Panel, BCCI will go ahead with its 87^th annual meeting in Mumbai on 21^st September. The opinion of the national board differs significantly from that of the Lodha committee.

In an earlier meeting with the Lodha committee in August, BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke, conceded that the AGM would only be limited to routine business, but in a recent turn of events, the Lodha Panel sent an email to BCCI chief executive Rahul Johri informing him that the AGM should only be limited to routine business for the past year (2015-16).

He also made it very clear that any business matters pertaining to the next year will only be dealt after BCCI executed the Committee’s exhortations.

The notice issued by Ajay Shirke on August 31, which is in the possession of Times of India, informs all the committee members about the AGM. While the election of secretary is the No.6 item on the agenda of the meeting, it will be followed by the election of working and all other special committees of the board.

ICC and ACC representative appointment

BCCI is also expected to appoint its representative to the ICC and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). The national cricket board will also designate an ombudsman and auditors for the next financial year and decide on their remittance.

"This is 100% violation of the Supreme Court order. We will seek to appoint new administrators, who will replace the existing BCCI office-bearers. Contempt of court proceedings will be initiated against the office-bearers of the BCCI and officials of those state associations who have not complied with the instructions of the committee. This would include jail terms for those who're guilty of contempt," a source in the Lodha panel told TOI on Sunday.

For the first time, the BCCI has appointed an independent election officer, retired SC judge justice, PB Sawant, to supervise the secretary’s election, as the election process for the secretary’s post has been kept fairly unambiguous.

BCCI threatens to pull out team

BCCI had revealed a few days ago that it might withdraw the national team from participating in next year’s Champions Trophy in England after the national board was not invited by the ICC for the finance committee meeting in Dubai.

BCCI secretary, Ajay Shirke revealed that the board were humiliated after they were excluded from the finance committee meeting. “These are the committees where all the important decisions are taken — finance, commerce, and chief executives committee; India not having a representative (in those committees) is a humiliation for us, he told The Indian Express a fortnight back.