The Supreme Court's choice of four-member administrators that will supervise the day-to-day affairs of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may at first seem bewildering as none of the members have any experience in cricket administration. The panel headed by former Comptroller and Auditor General of India Vinod Rai will liaise with BCCI's chief executive officer Rahul Johri till fresh elections are held to appoint new board bosses. Rai will be assisted by senior banker Vikram Limaye, historian and cricket writer Ramchandra Guha and former Indian women's captain Diana Edulji.
The panel's first task will be to determine which directives of the Lodha Committee have thus far been complied with and those that have not been implemented. They are to submit the report to the court within six weeks. Rai has said that the panel will serve as "very short and interim" body and likened its role to be that of a "nightwatchman" with the aim of putting in place the pillars of transparency and accountability in order to make the BCCI a professional organisation.
In choosing two financial wizards in Rai and Limaye, the apex court has indicated that its priority lies in setting the financial side of BCCI's functioning in order. Being a former Auditor General, Rai is the perfect man to scrutinize the BCCI books, assisted by Limaye, a chartered accountant and MBA by training who has worked with Arthur Anderson, Ernest & Young and Citi Bank. The other two members, Guha and Edulji, have a cricket connection but neither has served as a cricket administrator. Edulji though has worked as a selector for the Railways and has been openly critical about the BCCI's policies in running the women's game.
However, overhauling the financial structure and practices of a humongous body like the BCCI and simultaneously running the game in the length and breadth of the country is a huge challenge. In reality, to counter this tricky period on a treacherous pitch is a job more suited for an experienced opener than a nightwatchman.
Another immediate job for the panel is to finalise the framework for the IPL auction, which was originally scheduled for February 6. The twenty20 tournament is slated for April-May and will need a go-ahead from the panel to form a Governing Council before IPL activities, including signing of contracts and awarding of broadcast rights can start. Crucially, the committee needs to find the best possible representation to sit across the table with the International Cricket Council to ensure that India's interests are not undermined. Rai and Co. have a small window but a very critical one to sort out the finances of the board and make it Lodha Committee-compliant, a system free of corruption and bias.
