The Supreme Court today allowed the BCCI to disburse Rs 1.33 crore for the remaining two Test matches of the five-Test match series between India and England.
The apex court also allowed the cricketing body to disburse an advance of Rs 25 lakh each for three ODIs and three T-20s between the two sides.
The SC also asked that BCCI not to give any part of match receipts to state associations as they have not yet filed undertaking to implement Lodha Panel reforms.
The apex court’s order came while acting on a plea filed by the BCCI seeking funds to host the final two matches of the ongoing Test series.
BCCI counsel Kapil Sibal moved the apex court today seeking a grant of Rs 1.33 crore for the upcoming Test matches in Mumbai (December 9-13) and Chennai (December 16-20). The Supreme Court then asked the RM Lodha committee to respond on the matter.
Sibal argued that earlier also the BCCI was allowed to disburse funds for holding the matches of the ongoing India-England series.
Earlier in October, the Supreme Court had directed the cricket body to stop release of funds to the state cricket bodies until they commit to the implementation of Lodha panel’s recommendations. Besides, it had also asked Lodha panel to fix a limit on financial transactions of BCCI.
Handing an ultimatum to the board to undertake the reforms without any conditions, the top court had ordered BCCI president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke to give undertaking on affidavit, before the Lodha panel and in the court by December 3, stating how much time they would need to implement reforms.
The Board had earlier refused to give an undertaking that it will accept all the reforms suggested by the Lodha panel and fall in line. At the special general meeting (SGM), the cricketing body had decided to accept some of the recommendations put forward by the committee but it resisted the order regarding the removal of the BCCI top brass.
The Justice RM Lodha Committee appointed by the Supreme Court had proposed several far-reaching changes that could alter the way cricket is administered in the country. The panel had sought the removal of the entire BCCI top brass.
The apex court had on November 8 removed the hurdles created by state cricket associations on the holding of the India-England test series by allowing BCCI to incur the expense of Rs 58.66 lakh for the first match which started on November 9, warning that no part of fund will go to the host Saurashtra Cricket Association.
While permitting the BCCI to incur the expenditure for the first test match at Rajkot, the bench had made it clear that payments be made directly to the parties concerned with various contracts and not the state association.
It had also directed that BCCI will maintain a book of actual expenditure which has to be furnished to Justice R M Lodha committee for verification by its auditor who has to be appointed expeditiously by the panel.
The court has already fixed for hearing on December 9, the plea of the Lodha committee that former Home Secretary G K Pillai be appointed as an observer of the BCCI.
The committee has also sought removal of BCCI office bearers who are holding posts in contravention of norms such as age bar and one person-one post suggested by it.
