A retired CAG, an investment banker, a historian and a former cricketer: the four individuals entrusted to run the BCCI may not have much in common but they have what the Supreme Court needed to become the new motto of the board – integrity.
Vinod Rai, historian Ramachandra Guha, managing director and CEO of IDFC Vikram Limaye and former women's cricket captain Diana Edulji now comprise the Committee of Administrators (COA), who will run the richest cricket body in the world. Their first task: a four-week window to get the BCCI running on the recommendations laid down by the Lodha Committee and report back to the SC on the changed enforced.
Two weeks have passed since the COA assumed office. Here’s a look at what’s changed in the world of Indian cricket since.
No Place For Old Studs
Vinod Rai’s panel came in to replace the erstwhile set-up of ‘President and Vice-President’ in the board, after Anurag Thakur and Ajay Shirke were dismissed from their posts by the Supreme Court in January.
But they weren't the only administrators who lost their powers.
One day into their new offices and the COA sent a loud and clear message – Joint secretary Amitabh Choudhary had convened the selection meeting for the one-off Bangladesh Test, on 31 January, but he wasn't allowed to enter the venue. A four-hour delay in the proceedings eventually resulted in BCCI CEO Rahul Johri taking his place at the head of the table over teleconference.
Treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry, too, had his wings clipped. Chaudhry was all set to represent the board at the ICC meet in Dubai from 2 February, but was told to stay behind.
Clueless in The ICC?
With Choudhary and Chaudhary staying at home in India, it was ICC first-timers Rahul Johri and Vikram Limaye who made the journey to Dubai. The decisions made at the meeting, though, couldn't help but make one wonder if a seasoned ‘player’ was needed to hold the Dubai front.
After all, the BCCI has been running into a wall at the ICC on a regular basis now, and in what is being branded as the ‘weekend coup,’ the international board agreed "in principle" to take away a large chunk of India’s control over the game's finances and administration.
Under the previous revenue distribution formula, the Indian board would earn a little over 20 percent of the ICC’s revenue and some 33 percent on the surplus. In the newly proposed formula, India will get 10 percent of revenue and 15.3 percent of surplus.
If the proposal that was passed in the ICC, vie a vote, is implemented, the BCCI stands to lose Rs 3000 crore in the 2015-23 financial cycle. While seasoned investment banker Vikram Limaye did protest the vote, saying he had had insufficient time to evaluate the proposal, the ICC is forging ahead with the plans.
A lot of trust building needs to happen because I think the relationship between the BCCI, ICC and member countries needs to improve. It’s important for us to adopt a more collaborative approach rather than having a combative approach, because at the end of the day we have only one vote.Vikram Limaye, Member-COA to Indian Express
Now, while Limaye’s methods may have worked in corporate boardrooms, the world of cricket administration may need a firmer hand. And without one solid ‘player’ to head India’s pushback in Dubai, the BCCI stands to a lose a lot of revenue, that may well impact the sport in the country, in the coming future.
Assuage Nerves - Champions League On
The BCCI under Anurag Thakur held one major bargaining chip. The Champions Trophy participation was used by the previous players of the Indian board to leverage votes in the ICC meet to get them out of the new ICC revenue system.
The newly appointed BCCI’s system ‘cleaners’ though may not want to disturb the optics by looking to be arm twisting their international contemporaries – and, in fact, eventually concede defeat in the run-in against BCCI’s loss of revenue.
Why should the BCCI pull out of the Champions Trophy? Why? Doesn’t the Indian public want us to participate in the tournament? Everybody says we can withdraw from the Champions Trophy. Suppose withdraw, is it feasible? Will not there be a huge backlash? Gone are the days when we could threaten and get away.Vinod Rai, Head-COA to Mumbai Mirror
Thakur & Shirke’s Appointees Sacked
One of the major reshuffles within the board, after the appointment of the COA, has been the laying-off of the office-members of the former President and Secretary. This also resulted in the stepping down of BCCI’s media manager Nishant Arora.
Having taken over at the helm at a time when Virat Kohli was making headlines because of his run-ins with the media, Arora was known for his ability to streamline cricketer-press relations. Small fry, however, as far as the tasks ahead for the committee are concerned.
These decisions aside, the four-member panel have just over two weeks to table their first status report in front of the Supreme Court.
They meet for a third time on 17 February, and all eyes will be on their plans for the implementation of the Lodha Panel recommendations. How will the COA tread forward with the state bodies? How much resistance will they face, especially with the all-important yearly showcase, the IPL, scheduled to start in just over a month?
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)