BCCI rejects CEO’s wish for Italian suits, costing Rs 2.5 lakh each, for Indian cricket team: Report

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has rejected the proposal of its CEO Rahul Johri for purchasing Italian-tailored suits, costing Rs 2.5 lakh each, for the Indian cricket team. 

According to a report in The Indian Express, the BCCI rejected the proposal because the board’s old guard saw it as an extravagance and in addition to that there was a fear that it will come under scanner of the courts monitoring BCCI’s spending. 

The report adds that in an email to BCCI president Anurag Thakur, secretary Ajay Shirke and other staff members on November 19, BCCI CEO Johri floated the idea of getting 50 new suits, for the cricketers as well as BCCI’s top executives.

“The Indian team is in a serious need of new sets of formal attire. The cost per set will be approximately Rs 2.5 lakh. And we intend to order 50 sets. Request your go-ahead,” Johri  wrote.

However, BCCI secretary Shirke, after consulting board legal counsel Abhinav Mukherjee, replied to Johri saying the board cannot enter into any new contract as directed by the Supreme Court.

“Am afraid we cannot enter into any new agreement or contract as per the Supreme Court order,” he said in his reply.

BCCI’s legal counsel Abhinav Mukherjee, in his mail, advised the board to consult Lodha Committee on this issue. 

“I suggest that this issue needs to be verified with the Lodha Committee. The committee, in its report, stated that the vendor should be appointed through a tender process. But it seems this is done by a private negotiation. Ideally, we should refer this to the committee,” he wrote.

However, the Indian Express report says that BCCI president Thakur quickly intervened at this point  to say there was no need to consult the Lodha Committee.

“We are not going ahead with this,” Anurag Thakur said in his reply.