BCCI vs Lodha panel: Will abide by SC order, says Anurag Thakur

DEHRADUN: Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Anurag Thakur on Friday played safe by saying that he would react only after going through the Supreme Court's interim order in the present logjam between the cricket board and the Justice (Retd.) R.M Lodha-led panel. The BCCI chief, however, asserted that they would abide by the apex court ruling. "I haven't read the order, but we have full faith in the Indian judiciary. We have already put forward our concerns before the court. I will be able to react on this only after going the judgement. For the time being, I just want to state that we have full faith in the court. The BCCI will ponder over whatever judgement the court pronounces and accordingly inform state cricket associations about the same," Thakur said. Thakur"s comment comes after the top court curtailed financial powers of the cricket body. Earlier in the day, the apex court directed the BCCI not to release funds until the state associations file an affidavit implementing recommendations of Lodha panel. Issuing the direction, the apex court said the state cricket associations cannot get any money from the national cricket body till the time they follow the Lodha committee"s recommendations. The top court also asked the Lodha panel to appoint an independent auditor to scrutinise BCCI's accounts and also to fix a limit on the financial transactions of the cricket board. The BCCI president and secretary Ajay Shirke have also been asked to file a compliance report affidavit within two weeks regarding the implementation of the cricket reforms suggested by the apex-court appointed panel. The Lodha panel would also fix a limit on the monetary value of contracts, which the BCCI can enter into, with a condition that all contracts above this limit would be approved by the panel. The court will next hear the matter next on December 5. The BCCI president has been asked to personally appear before the apex court during the next hearing. The order is likely to affect the award of contract for the Indian Premier League (IPL) and other tournaments as the apex court empowers the Lodha panel to fix a ceiling. The Supreme Court would also apprise International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Shashank Manohar of its orders. The Lodha panel recommended, among other things, age and tenure restrictions for top officials as well as banning them from serving successive terms.