Lodha panel not giving us time for last two months: BCCI president Anurag Thakur

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Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Anurag Thakur on 21 December revealed that the board members have not been given time by the Justice (Retd.) R.M. Lodha-led committee to discuss three or four recommendations which the cricket board are finding impractical.

"The members are not agreeing to implement three or four recommendations as they are not practical. To convey this, we need time but the committee is not giving us time for the last two months," Thakur told reporters.

Thakur, however, insisted that he has full faith on Indian judicial system.

"The matter is sub-judice and I have full faith on Indian judicial system. We have called meeting time and again to implement Justice Lodha committee recommendation. Most of the recommendations have been implemented," he added.

The BCCI president insisted that the board have brought many more reforms prior to the Lodha panel recommendations and that they are the best run organisation in the world today.

On 15 December, the Supreme Court observed Anurag Thakur prima facie appears to have committed matter of perjury in relation to demanding an intervention via a letter from the International Cricket Council (ICC) in order to sidestep the implementation of the Lodha committee recommendations.

The apex court, which was hearing the Lodha panel's third status report that asked for the removal of top brass of the BCCI, asked Amicus Curiae Gopal Subramaniam whether Thakur committed perjury or not in the case.

In reply, the Amicus Curiae revealed that the BCCI chief, in his affidavit submitted to the top court, had said that he sought Shashank Manohar's opinion as BCCI chairman, which was denied by the latter saying that it was asked in the ICC meeting.

It should be noted that if Thakur is found to have committed perjury then he might land in jail.

The three-member apex court-bench, headed by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur, also asked the country's cricket board to suggest if there is any name for post of administrator and also granted them one-week time for the same.

Meanwhile, the top court also reserved order on replacing BCCI top brass with a panel of administrators.

The final order on Thakur's purported mis-demeanour will now be taken on 3 January when the court returns after the winter break.

On 1 October, the board had accepted many of the "significant recommendations" of the Lodha Committee, but excluded the important ones which have been a bone of contention between the cricket body and the Lodha Panel.

The recommendations, which have still not been accepted by the 30-member committee, include one-state one-vote, age limit of 70 years, cooling-off period of three years which included the tenure of the administrators, continue with the five-selectors and retaining the powers of the president and secretary as per the earlier constitution of the board.

-ANI