CHENNAI: A day after the BCCI released the agenda for its December 1 AGM which proposes significant changes to the new constitution that has just been implemented after a prolonged tussle, things were quiet on the board corridors. It being a Sunday and also the day of the India-Bangladesh T20 series decider, most of the attention was on Nagpur.
Away from the cricket field, there was an air of confidence when it came to the crucial question of the Supreme Court approving the proposed changes. Among other points, there are talks to amend the clause regarding cooling-off break so that officials having served at state bodies don’t have those years deducted from their tenure on entering the BCCI. Making the board representative to the ICC immune to disqualification is another one against the court order.
What makes the BCCI confident or hopeful that the court will accept their appeal to change vital components of the order passed by the same court? “We are proposing these changes after considering the practical aspects of running an organisation. The cooling-off rule needs modification because in its present form, it disrupts continuity. And if the ICC representative is not an office-bearer, why does he have to follow disqualification rules meant for office-bearers?” sources close to developments told this daily.
However, there are also concerns among board members whether the court should have been informed before sending out the notice for the meeting, with amendments to the constitution listed among matters to be discussed. Some are of the opinion that this should be done before the meeting so that the court doesn’t receive the wrong signals.
“Since the matters involve changing rules laid down by the court, the move to change them should have been brought to the notice of the court before announcing it. But I think that can still be done. We can inform the court these are the things to be discussed and we will file a detailed application after the discussions have taken place,” said a state unit president.
Other than proposing amendments to the constitution, the BCCI has also decided to formalise decisions taken at various meetings from 2016 to 2018. Some of these meetings were not recognised by court-appointed authorities looking after the board in those months. So confirming the minutes of those may amount to another violation of court orders.
Board veterans don’t seem overtly worried by this either. “No meeting held by elected members of the BCCI can be declared null and void. It’s just that decisions taken at those meetings couldn’t be ratified at that time due to the uncertainty. Now that’s over, what’s the problem?” There is a breeze of confidence blowing across the BCCI corridors at the moment.