Lodha committee to bar politicians, businessmen from cricket administration?

The committee report could ruffle plenty of feathers in the Indian cricket establishment.

New Delhi: With the Lodha committee set to give its report to the Supreme Court on January 4, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) could be a very different organization from 2016 onwards.

According to a report in the Times of India, the report could ruffle plenty of feathers in the Indian cricket establishment.

The apex court- appointed panel could propose transforming the Indian board's nature from a society to a public trust or a company with greater transparency.

"The recommendation of the committee will reflect the majority view. The recommendation on this score could spell doom for most non-cricketers, especially politicians, who routinely get themselves elected as heads of the state affiliates and have a say in allotment of matches to venues. If the politician is powerful, his state affiliate invariably got prime matches in a tournament conducted by BCCI," a source quoted them as having said in the TOI report.

The reforms recommended by the Lodha Committee could prevent industrialists and political leaders entering cricket administration unless they have been associated with the sport before making their political or business career.

Currently, most of BCCI's affiliate bodies are run by non-cricketers and politicians.

Also, the committee report will carry its findings from BCCI's revenue-sharing model with the state associations. Hence it is likely to make a case for smaller cricket bodies to earn more money from the BCCI.