The Supreme Court’s decision to implement all of the Lodha committee’s recommendations has helped Bihar Cricket Association to regain full member status in BCCI after a long time.
The news comes at a very good time as the Board now has the chance to vote in BCCI elections and could feature in Ranji trophy and all other domestic competitions which were denied to the state back in 2001 when then BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya disaffiliated the board from BCCI.
However, Bihar Cricket Association will face a huge setback due to another recommendation from Lodha committee which states that no bureaucrats or serving ministers should hold a position in a cricket board. This means their current president Abdul Bari Siddiqui will now have to quit either the BCA or his post as the finance minister of Bihar. Surprisingly, Bihar will be the only state which will be affected by this recommendation.
“We respect the Supreme Court verdict. As per the Lodha recommendations, Bihar is now a full member of the BCCI, which means that we’re eligible to vote in the Board elections, and we can play in the Ranji Trophy from this season itself, which is the best news for our cricketers. Being a full member, we would now also be eligible for our share of the board’s grants, which will help us build infrastructure in our state and revamp the Moin-ul-Haq stadium in Patna,” Mrityunjay Tiwary, the BCA secretary.
“We will hold our meeting soon, to study the SC verdict. Our president, Abdul Bari Siddiqui, will have to quit now because of he’s also the finance minister in the state cabinet,” he added in an interview with Times of India.