The BCCI today filed its reply to the Supreme Court refuting allegations of non-compliance with Lodha Committee recommendations.
“A meeting comprising all members took place, and several recommendations of the Lodha Committee were rejected by voting,” the BCCI, which roped in senior lawyer Kapil to represent it in the top court, said.
The Board also said that ‘records of 40 e-mails sent to Justice Lodha will be submitted to the court’.
“It is not true that we didn't respond to Committee’s e-mails.” it said.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Lodha Committee are at loggerheads over absolute implementation of the panel recommendations.
Earlier this week, the Board had reacted dramatically to the Justice RM Lodha Committee's direction to banks to freeze its accounts, threatening to call off the remaining matches of New Zealand's ongoing tour of India.
The board had argued that the Lodha Committee had gone beyond its brief and the reforms suggested by the committee will sound the death knell for Indian cricket and destroy the BCCI.
BCCI president Anurag Thakur had said that it may not be possible to hold the rest of the matches in the series, including one Test and five one-day matches as he is unable to withdraw any money since the banks have frozen their accounts completely.
Thakur had even stated that the Indian team may have to pull out of the Champions Trophy to be held in England next year if the recommendations by the Lodha panel are fully implemented.
According to the recommendations by the Lodha Committee, there has to be a 15-day window before and after the IPL. The Champions Trophy is scheduled from June 1-18 next year while the IPL is likely to end in the last week of May.
Justice Lodha, however, had criticised the BCCI's stand, asserting that the panel has directed that enough funds should be available to conduct the daily administrative activities of the board and there is no question of discontinuing with the New Zealand series.
The Lodha panel was unhappy with the BCCI for missing the first deadline for implementing its recommendations. In its special general meeting (SGM) last week, the BCCI had agreed to adopt some of the recommendations, but the board is trying to avoid some of the key reforms, including removal of the entire top brass of the country's apex cricket body.
The BCCI's SGM also decided to release huge amounts as payments to its member associations, against the directions of the Lodha panel.
As a result, the Lodha panel issued a letter to the banks on Monday, urging them to not give BCCI access to funds. The letter, which was addressed to BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke, CEO Rahul Johri, treasurer Anirudh Choudhary and Rana Kapoor of Yes Bank, also talked about how the BCCI has openly breached the Supreme Court's order.
