BCCI criticised by Supreme court for resisting reforms, urged to function with more transparency

You are discharging public function… how best your functioning can be improved. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday said the functioning of the Board of Control for Cricket in India should be “transparent and visible” and observed that the apex cricket body was “refusing to reform” and resisting some of the important recommendations of the Justice Lodha Committee. The court’s query came as the BCCI told it that the presence of the CAG representative as suggested by Justice Lodha Committee would result in the de-recognition of the apex cricket body from the International Cricket Council as it would be viewed as governmental interference in the affairs of an independent and autonomous sports body. Asking Venugopsal to show “How the presence of government nominee or CAG would violate ICC rules and attract derecognition”, the bench observed, “You are opposing the nominee of the CAG as it would make you vulnerable to derecognition but you are all advocating involvement of ministers and bureaucrats … Does it not create government influence or presence.” Telling senior counsel Venugopal that the public money that BCCI was holding as Trust was for the promotion of the game of cricket, the bench said: “The money that you have is in your trust. The BCCI is resisting the Lodha Committee recommendations which call for a ceiling of maximum of two terms for office bearers, one state-one vote, the presence of CAG representative on the BCCI board and fixing 65 years as the upper age limit of office bearers.