The Supreme Court on Friday further cut the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s financial power. The apex court told the Indian cricket board that it cannot sign contracts above a monetary ceiling that will now be fixed by the Justice Lodha panel, reported The Indian Express.
The BCCI will have to seek the court's approval if it wants to sign contracts related to media rights and ground rights, among others, above the fixed limit. The court imposed this sanction after the BCCI failed to comply with the recommendations proposed by the Lodha Committee.
The Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice of India TS Thakur, further restrained the BCCI from disbursing funds to state associations until they pass resolutions on implementation of the Lodha’s recommendations. “Not a single penny will be given to state associations until they comply with the Lodha panel,” the bench said, ordering the board to file a compliance report in two weeks.
BCCI President Anurag Thakur and Secretary Ajay Shirke have been asked to meet the Lodha panel and show their compliance with the recommendations. They have also been asked to file detailed affidavits counting the specific recommendations they have accepted and not implemented yet.
Further, the court had asked the Lodha panel to appoint an independent auditor to scrutinise all accounts of the BCCI and submit a report. The bench said a copy of this order should be sent to the International Cricket Council for their intimation about the developments.
The court order may impact several future tournaments, including the Indian Premier League, where the BCCI needs to enter into agreements to lend various rights.
Friday’s order is the latest in the face-off between the judiciary and the world’s richest cricket body, which has been accused of cherry-picking directives issued by the Lodha Committee.
The fund freeze is unlikely to affect the state units’ functioning immediately as they are believed to have substantial money, with the BCCI releasing huge sums in August. But the ongoing Ranji Trophy tournament could be disrupted if they plead a financial crunch.