BCCI to propose change to cooling-off period clause at first AGM under Sourav Ganguly

For three years, it was the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) — led by Vinod Rai — who performed the role of the policymaking Apex Council. And by the time they stepped down after the BCCI elections on October 23, the directions issued by them were met with several criticisms by the BCCI members.

For starters, the first Apex Council of the BCCI has made it clear that it’s not practical to go the Supreme Court for approval every time an amendment needs to be made to the constitution. But the constitution as approved by the SC on August 9, 2018, by the bench comprising justices Dipak Misra, A. M. Khanwilkar and D. Y. Chandrachud, includes the following clause: “We approve the above clauses. We are emphatically of the view that once the draft constitution has been approved by this court, any amendment should not be given effect to without the leave of this court.”

Although newly-elected president Ganguly has given no hint of his team strong-arming an amendment to the constitution, the members are adamant that it is their right alone to bring about any changes. New secretary Jay Shah noted that, as per the principal judgement of July 18, 2016, and the Lodha committee reforms, it is not mandatory for the BCCI to approach the Supreme Court and seek its approval for amendments adopted at the board’s general meetings.

The other amendments proposed to the current members of the board include the need to modify the cooling-off period clauses, making them applicable only to the president and secretary; removing the disqualification clause for nominating a person to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and similar organisations, and, most importantly, vesting powers with the Apex Council and secretary, who is elected, and make professional managers take directions from him. As per a report on Sportstar, the Apex Council is inclined to nominate former BCCI president and ICC chairman N. Srinivasan as a director on the ICC Board.