Press Trust of India
Mumbai, Nov 8: Sweeping reforms to revive its battered image, including the appointment of an ombudsman, and former chief N Srinivasan’s future as ICC chairman will dominate the agenda when the BCCI holds its 86th AGM here Monday.
The appointment of the Ombudsman, or Ethics Officer, is one of the key changes that have been proposed in the BCCI’s Memorandum of Rules and Regulations to be taken up at the AGM.
With the soon-to-be-delivered recommendations over governance reforms by the Supreme Court-appointed Justice Lodha Committee hanging over them, the board members are all set to clear the way for this path-breaking move which was announced by Shashank Manohar after being re-elected as the BCCI president last month.
The AGM, which was postponed by more than a month from its normal late September date, is expected to put in place strict compliance protocols to the ‘Conflict of Interest’ regulations in the wake of the Supreme Court’s cracking of the whip on this
matter.
It will also be interesting to see whether the BCCI general body will decide to retain its former president and Tamil Nadu strongman Srinivasan as its representative in the ICC as the chairman.
There have been news reports recently that BCCI would change its nomination vis-a-vis ICC and name Manohar as the new chairman till the next annual conference of the world governing body in June, 2016 when the Indian board-nominated person’s term comes to an end.
Srinivasan is not scheduled to attend the AGM and Tamil Nadu CA will be represented by VP PS Raman. If the BCCI decides to change his name in favour of Manohar to be forwarded to the ICC, it will mark a complete end to Srinivasan’s hold in the board.
The AGM is also set to elect new senior, junior and women’s selection panels and the proposed stricter adherence to conflict of interest clause could lead to the removal of South Zone representative in the Sandeep Patil-led senior panel – Roger Binny – as his son Stuart is an active player.
The general body is also set to constitute a new IPL governing council, an important sub-committee, and provide a roadmap for the induction of two new teams in place of the suspended Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals for seasons nine and 10 of the T20 League.
The procedure to appoint a new coach for the Indian team, with the post lying vacant after the departure of Zimbabwean Duncan Fletcher, could also be taken up at the meeting.