Do not behave like lords, fall in line, SC tells BCCI

NEW DELHI: A livid Supreme Court told the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday to fall in line and stop defying its orders.

The top court was reacting to a status report submitted by the RM Lodha committee that sought the ouster of the board’s top brass, including president Anurag Thakur.

“You [BCCI] are not a law unto yourself… You are behaving like lords. Fall in line, otherwise we will make you fall in line,” the court warned, giving the board time till October 6 to respond.

The board, at its annual general meeting on September 21, flouted the panel’s guidelines in several decisions, including the formation of a new team selection committee.

The Lodha panel counsel, Gopal Sankaranarayanan, complained that the BCCI was openly defying the court and failed to implement reforms despite a September 30 deadline to comply with the directives.

The court formed the panel after the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal. Headed by former chief justice RM Lodha, the panel suggested several changes in reforming the world’s richest cricket body.

The top court cleared the recommendations on July 18, and directed the BCCI to implement them.

At the hearing on Wednesday, the bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur became livid when told of the BCCI’s stand.

“SC will not allow BCCI to defy court orders. We will pass appropriate orders to set you right,” the Chief Justice said.

The BCCI will now meet on September 29-30 to chalk the course of action. The board will be holding an emergent special general meeting to consider the amendments to BCCI’s rules and regulations as recommended by the Lodha panel.

The BCCI’s best hope is in being allowed to exercise the right to exhaust all its legal remedies. It will at least buy some time. Given the SC’s stance, this game plan may not work too. “We will implement all their recommendations, but we have the right to exhaust all our legal options. The only point where we differ (with the Supreme Court panel) is they want us to implement in the least possible time and we want to exercise all our legal remedies. If the review petition is dismissed then we have the curative petition,” said a senior Board functionary.