Mumbai: In an attempt to understand the complexities and smooth implementation of the Justice Lodha Panel recommendations approved by the Supreme Court, a beleaguered BCCI on Tuesday appointed former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju as the head of a four-member legal panel.
The Board also approved the two-match Twenty20 series against current World champions West Indies in the USA. The matches will be played on August 27 and 28 (7.30 pm IST) at Central Broward Regional Park, Fort Lauderdale in Florida.
These decisions were taken in an emergent working committee meeting here on Tuesday, presided over by BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke. BCCI president also a Parliamentarian, Anurag Thakur currently busy in New Delhi with Monsoon session, attended the meeting via video conferencing.
BCCI decided to make Katju the “single point interface” for the Board “to interact with the Justice Lodha panel as well advise and guide” the cricket’s premier governing body in India through its transition. Former BCCI president Sharad Pawar also attended the meeting as Mumbai CA representative along with CAB President Sourav Ganguly.
Justice Katju has been a judge in the Supreme Court from 2006 to 2011. Another legal luminary in the panel will be Abhinav Mukherjee. Many BCCI officials and its affiliates seem confused about some Lodha panel recommendations advocating sweeping changes, approved by the Apex court.
“The (Working Committee) members were in one voice of the view that the recommendations were complex and would involve large-scale changes to be implemented across the board. Many technical and legal aspects were likely to come up in the future,” a BCCI release said.
The working committee members also took stock of the logistic and other pending things to give a go ahead to the T20 series in Florida. Shirke called it a path breaking initiative. “This initiative is path breaking in terms of the expansion of our great sport. It is our endeavour to make every possible effort to connect with fans in different parts of the world,” he said. USA has already hosted Caribbean Premier League games and Cricket All Stars.
“This will be a great opportunity for the cricket fans in America to watch the two champion sides in action. This will be developed into an annual cricketing event in the United States,” Thakur stated.
India To play T20s in USA
BCCI also approved the two-match T20 series against current World champions West Indies in the USA. The matches will be played on August 27 and 28 at Central Broward Regional Park, Fort Lauderdale in Florida. WICB President, Whycliffe Dave Cameron stated, “This will be a great initiative in our continued efforts to develop cricket in the Americas (North and South America) a very important market.”
