BCCI forms new legal panel to liaise with Lodha committee

The BCCI's working committee on Tuesday approved the formation of a new legal panel as a "single point interface for the BCCI to interact with the Justice Lodha Committee" during the implementation of the report. Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju will head the panel, which also comprises three other legal counsels, including BCCI's counsel Abhinav Mukerjee. The panel is also expected to advise and guide the

BCCI through its transition. A press release from the board stated that the decision to form a panel, which will was taken after members felt that the Lodha committee "recommendations were complex" and many "technical and legal aspects were likely to come up" during the implementation of these suggestions as directed by the Supreme Court. Even as the BCCI's press release said the creation of this panel was a "unanimous" decision, there appeared to be differing views from members of the working committee on the matter. It is also understood that the views of the board's legal committee were not taken on board before the panel was formed. An official from a southern state association said members were not in favour of a new legal panel as it would not serve any purpose. "The suggestion was there for [creating] the committee to discuss all issues [but] members said they didn't want a committee," the official told ESPNcricinfo. "See, all of them felt it was not going to be of any help when the attitude of the judges and the committee has been so hostile. The solution is whatever [recommendations] can be implemented we will implement. "In any case, we have time [to implement the recommendations]. Every state association has their own concerns; they want to know what BCCI is going to do first." A BCCI official, however, said the legal panel would be better equipped to convey the grievances of the state associations to the Lodha Committee. "No state association should directly deal with Lodha committee," he said. "If they have a problem they will have to go through this panel and the panel will interact with [Lodha committee]. It is always better than state associations directly dealing, [which] will mess up the whole thing. There will not be any discipline; everybody will become independent." He also said none of the board's office bearers wll feature in the panel, as there would be a conflict of interest. "[There was] no alternative [to creating this panel]," he said. "Most of the associations have had their office bearers disqualified."

The Supreme Court, on July 18, accepted the majority of the recommendations put forward by the three-member Lodha panel, which had been tasked with proposing changes to streamline the board's functioning and prevent sporting fraud and conflict of interest. The report was made public on January 4 and covered wide-ranging aspects of Indian cricket at the central and state level. The court heard arguments from the BCCI on its reservations against some of the recommendations but finally accepted most of the reforms and has given the board between four and six months to implement them.

While president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke are slated to meet with the Lodha committee on August 9, a committee source said they had not yet responded to communication from the panel.