Can't stop anyone from contesting elections: BCCI official

                               
NEWDELHI: Reacting to suggestions expected to come up in the Lodha panel report pertaining to the 'clean up' of the cricket board, the BCCI has raised concerns over some of the recommendations, which are going to be announced on January 4, 2016. A day after the TOI reported that the board was wary about two contentious issues - one team from state and not allowing BCCI officials to represent their state bodies - the issue of active participation of non-cricketers (politicians and industrialists) has now come to the fore.

"How can you stop anyone from contesting a board election if he is eligible?" a senior board mandarin asked. "There should not be and can't be any restriction on politicians or industrialists," he added.

While experts say the panel's proposals won't be binding on the BCCI without the intervention of the SC, the board is ready with an alternate plan. As part of the initiative, the BCCI will be taking steps to make cricket more accountable.
To a suggestion that someone accused of sport fraud should not be allowed to take part in functioning of the BCCI, board's take is simple. "You can't ask a member to step down till he is proven guilty. Someone could be accusing you with a bad intention. In fact, the board has a system in place for those who get bigger than their boots," another official said.

The board is also not willing to do away with the National Cricket Club (NCC) and the Cricket Club of India (CCI).

"In Mumbai, the Brabourne Stadium used to be an international venue under the aegis of the CCI. How can you throw out the founder members," the source said.

BCCI is also against a fixed term for the state affiliated units. "If you take the case of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), they have an election every year and if you hold a position in the BCCI for three to six years, then you have to resign from the local association within two years. It's not as easy as it appears," the source explained.

The only agreement could be on the appointment of the BCCI president, which may happen from any zone. Any state affiliated unit can propose the name of the new president. "This is one measure we all agree upon. The board should always get the best man to lead it," the source added.