The Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) has become the first state association to call a Special General Meeting (SGM) to discuss and adopt the proposed rulebook by the Justice R.M. Lodha committee, as directed by the Supreme Court order on July 18.
The VCA’s SGM will be held on September 30, the last day of the deadline set for state associations and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to amend their respective rulebooks. Incidentally, the BCCI has also convened a SGM to discuss the same issue.
“The SGM has been called in accordance with the timelines issued by the Lodha Committee. It is up to the members to decide whether to adopt it or not,” VCA president Prakash Dixit told The Hindu from Nagpur on Tuesday.
With the VCA having almost 1,200 members, most of whom are likely to attend the meeting, almost 650 members will have to vote in favour of the amendment for the new rulebook, drafted by the Lodha Committee, to take effect.
One of the most high-profile absentees for the SGM will be Shashank Manohar. The International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman is in the United States on official ICC duties.
Surprisingly, the VCA has emerged as the lone state association to adhere to the deadline of September 30 set by the Lodha Committee. The other state associations are understood to have either misinterpreted the Supreme Court order or are awaiting instructions from the BCCI hierarchy.
“We have ample time. Page 23 of the Supreme Court order gives us one year — till July 2017 — to implement the changes directed at state associations,” said the secretary of a southern state association, requesting anonymity.
The association was referring to the part of the order, which states: “No Member shall be entitled to any grant from the BCCI if its Constitution fails to provide for, or comply with the following within One year after the Effective Date” before spelling out various conditions.
However, the email on September 28 had specified that the state associations will have to respect the September 30 deadline based on page 138 and 139 of the order which specify “the contention that the recommendations have no rationale or that the same are contrary to the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act deserve notice only to be rejected”.
It will be interesting to see if the Lodha Committee recommends action not only against the BCCI for creating hindrances in implementing the order. On Monday, the committee had filed a status report to the Supreme Court because the committee found impediments in implementation of the order.
