SC expected to name panel of administrators on Jan 30

NEW DELHI: In what can only termed as a huge relief for concerned stakeholders of Indian cricket, the Supreme Court on Tuesday made clear it would NOT accede to the request of the government's request to recall the Lodha reforms and refer the matter to a larger bench, while also indicating it would appoint an interim panel of administrators to overseer the functioning of the BCCI. 

A decision on the panel is expected in the next hearing listed on Monday (January 30), Hindustan Times reports.

A three-Judge Bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra after CJI TS Thakur retired, made clear to Attorney general Mukul Rohatgi (representing institutional units Railways, Services and the Universities), that aside from allowing him (read the institutional units) and the BCCI state units to suggest names for the administrators’ panel by Friday, there would be no more "going back" on the decisions taken by the Supreme Court earlier. 

To Rohatgi’s suggestion that the appointment of administrators be put off, the court said, “We are not inclined to keep it in abeyance.”

“Once we pen an order, it is clear as day that it will be implemented,” HT quoted the judges as saying, sweeping away any chance of recalling or reviewing the reforms suggested by the RM Lodha committee.

So far, 24 names have been suggested by three parties – amicus curiae, lawyer Anil Divan and the petitioner, Cricket Association of Bihar, HT further reports.

The Bench has made it clear that names in the sealed envelopes of anyone over 70 years will be disqualified. More importantly, review of the July 18 2016 order ratifying the Lodha panel report stands as is.

Delegates for ICC meet

The Court accepted a request from BCCI counsel Arvind Datar to nominate someone to represent the board at a meeting of the ICC executive committee. To be held in the first week of February, the meeting will take decisions affecting the revenue of the BCCI.