Will the BCCI be rigid or flexible?

The CoA has not been adamant in its discussions with other boards over the new ICC constitution, but the BCCI will be represented at the ICC meetings by its secretary, who is part of the old order

The CoA and the BCCI CEO Rahul Johri have not adopted a hardline stance on the new ICC constitution, but they won’t be at the meeting © AFP

Will the BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhury adopt the conciliatory approach established by the Committee of Administrators when he represents the Indian board at this week’s round of ICC meetings? Or will Choudhury, a loyalist of former BCCI president N Srinivasan, be confrontational like previous Indian administrators have been?

The new ICC constitution – the focal point of next week’s meetings – was approved in principle in February but the BCCI, represented then by CoA member Vikram Limaye, was one of two boards to vote against it.

Limaye had criticised the governance structure reforms, and in particular the proposed financial model because the BCCI’s share of ICC revenue is considerably reduced. The objections have since been spelt out in detail and sent to the ICC. To a large extent, the fate of the new ICC constitution will depend on how the BCCI approaches this meeting.

Over the last two months, the heads of several boards have travelled to India to meet the CoA to try and ensure the BCCI isn’t hostile at the April meetings. Though CoA members, Vinod Rai and Limaye, and BCCI CEO Rahul Johri have expressed reservations to the draft constitution, they said they would try and resolve the issues amicably. Their conciliatory approach is in sharp contrast to that of past BCCI office-bearers, a difference that hasn’t been lost on other Full Member boards. They came across as a set of officials without “agenda or baggage,” said one visitor.

Contrary to public perception of not being strong, however, the CoA and Johri have bargained hard and not compromised the BCCI’s interests.

“The rest of the ICC Board could have easily said you can object but we will get the reforms done,” one official said. The fact that board heads travelled to India for meetings suggested, as one member director said, that the “importance of India” remains. And every visitor was given the message that, “if India lose something it is bad for everybody.” They were also told the BCCI would like to resolve the issue beforehand rather than take it to a vote during the meetings.

This week, however, Choudhury will be attending the ICC meetings as the BCCI representative, a decision taken by the Supreme Court of India. And the relationship between the CoA and the board’s office bearers has been difficult because of the issue of the implementation of the Lodha Committee’s recommendations.

Though both parties have started communicating better, tensions are unavoidable: the office bearers insist the BCCI should be run according to the old order in which they have the power and authority. They have refused to abide by the Supreme Court order that approved the Lodha Committee recommendations. The CoA has been tasked with supervising the BCCI while those recommendations are implemented.

All three BCCI office bearers – Choudhury, treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry and president CK Khanna – have submitted affidavits in court saying they will adhere to the order and work under CoA supervision. But in reality they say they are empowered by and answerable to the state associations, who want to take a divergent path to the CoA. 

Before Choudhury left for Dubai on Friday, the CoA sought a meeting with him to ascertain what stance he would take during negotiations with ICC directors. Choudhury is understood to have said that he would either ask the ICC board to defer the decision on the new constitution, or oppose it if it went to a vote. When the CoA said that a “rigid mandate” would run into difficulties, Choudhury said he would speak to other boards.

“If they go for an extreme position they will be outvoted,” one ICC director said. “Why would the other countries agree to defer any decision to June? They – other Full Members – would instead think this is their best chance to get whatever they can.”

A top official of another board, who has been in touch with the CoA and Johri, said Choudhury could not afford to stall matters. The official said that most members on the ICC Board were united in pushing for the new constitution to get approved. “It has to be done now. You cannot defer it to June. You come to June with the proposal for the AGM to adopt.  

“What this gentleman (Choudhury) might want to do is use the delaying tactic. I don’t believe anybody will want that to be case. You cannot go into June and still don’t know. It needs to be decided in April.”

The CoA and Johri have tried to gain support at the ICC through engagement and subtle tactic, not through coercion. Will Choudhury play ball?

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