Lodha to BCCI: No payment unless details are furnished

BCCI Secretary Ajay Shirke had sought directions from the committee that since home board makes all the arrangements and payments for the visiting team during a bilateral series, whether the BCCI could ask the ECB to make their payments as the hosts can't carry out any financial transactions.

 

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In their response, Lodha panel has stated: "The proposed MoU between BCCI and ECB concerns bilateral cricketing policy, the formulation of which is not a part of the mandate of the Committee. As far as payments are concerned, if they are to be made directly by the BCCI, no directions can be given by this Committee until relevant details are furnished by the BCCI."

 

The e-mail written by panel secretary Gopal Shankarnarayan, further stated, "To avoid any hindrance to the cricketing calendar and to ensure the continued enjoyment of the sport, the BCCI would be well advised to comply with the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in its orders dated July 18, October 7 and October 21, 2016."

 

The Panel, in a strongly-worded letter to President Anurag Thakur and Shirke, also clarified that "neither identification nor appointment of vendors or contractors is the task or function of the Committee" but they are required "to fix a threshold value".

 

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The Lodha Panel also instructed BCCI to give all the necessary information regarding appointment of an independent auditor and awarding of IPL tenders by November 8.

 

The committee again reminded BCCI chief Thakur "to give an unqualified undertaking on behalf of the BCCI to unreservedly comply with the order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court dated October 21, 2016."

 

Drawing the BCCI's attention that the panel has not received any undertaking from the Board on emails dated October 24, 2016, and October 29, the committee said, "It is clarified that the undertaking is necessary to implement the directions contained in the Order of the Supreme Court, dated October 21, 2016. The requirement for such an undertaking is not a mere formality.

 

"In the absence of the undertaking, the Committee finds it difficult to implement the order of the Supreme Court by issuing necessary directions to BCCI."