Lodha Committee’s Recommendation Unacceptable To Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri, ace Indian cricketer and former captain, seems to disapprove of the ‘cooling off’ period proposed in the Lodha Committee recommendations. According to Shastri this ‘Cooling off’ period will stop former cricketers from joining BCCI administration.

According to Lodha Committee recommendations every office-bearer of BCCI has a three-year term and can contest for a maximum three terms and there will be a mandatory cooling off period after each term. Hence no office-bearer can hold office consecutively in a row.

Shastri, further criticizing the Lodha Committee recommendations, said that a cricket administrator must get at least a six-year term because India is a huge country. For him, five-member selection panel looks acceptable.

During an interaction with Sanjay Manjrekar in Kanpur, Ravi Shastri said, “I think there needs to be a dialogue between both parties. Efforts should be made in this regard and let it not be a boxing bout.” Ravi Shastri is in Kanpur to celebrate India’s 500th test. According to Ravi if the cooling off rule is in place no former cricketer will join the cricket administration.

Questioning the Lodha Committee recommendations on the three year ‘cooling off’ period, Shastri further commented, “If I have an idea which is constructive and which I can do, I mean you are telling me to go in three years. What would anyone achieve in three years? How do you know the guy coming after me is competent enough? If I have done a competent job, then I should be respected for my competence. There is no harm if I get a six-year term. Then go for three-year cooling off and come back for another six years. Even Indian presidential candidate gets five years.”

Recently BCCI defied Lodha Committee recommendations for a three-member selection panel and appointed a five-member panel headed by MSK Prasad. Shastri, who is a very experienced cricketer, has played 90 tests and 150 ODIs. After retirement he became a TV sports commentator. He was also the former Director for the Indian cricket team.

Continuing to express his views on the three-year recommendation by the Supreme Court appointed Lodha Committee, Shastri added, “When I played game, three selectors were enough but the manner in which interest has grown, the combined number of people who play the game in our country is more than combined population of other cricket playing nations.”

Meanwhile, the  BCCI has filed a curative petition against the Supreme Court January 22, 2015 order that appointed a three-member committee comprising former Chief Justice of India RM Lodha and retired Supreme Court judges, Ashok Bhan and R Raveendran to look into the cricket board’s structure and functioning.