Current Situation (Lodha v BCCI) Not In Best Interest of Cricketers: Anurag Thakur
Dec 23, 2016 at 5:51 PM
Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) supremo Anurag Thakur stated that the current situation which Indian cricket governing board is going through after a long-standing dispute with Justice RM Lodha Committee is not in the prime interest of cricketers as the matter is still under judicial consideration.
With the BCCI hesitant to implement several recommendations of the Supreme Court-appointed panel (Lodha Committee) for the reforms in cricket, the apex body will give its much-awaited verdict on January 3, to seal the fate of the Board.
“We know the current situation is not in the best interest of cricketers but the matter is sub-judice. We are in problem and we need to wait until January 3,” 42-year-old Thakur said while further referring to instructions given by apex body over ‘stifling of funds’ for the BCCI, quoted as saying by PTI.
As the tussle continued between the two powerful administrations, Thakur takes a jibe at former Indian cricketers about raising the flak against BCCI.
“The BCCI has created its own infrastructure without taking a single penny from the government. Yet some former cricketers, not all, speak against us,” added Thakur.
However, BCCI officials are expected to keep everything as it is, before apex body’s decision for the matter that remained a hot debate for so long will come.
Standing tough against the International Cricket Council’s decision, Thakur was expecting to see India getting included in the global cricket working group which did not happen at the last moment.
“I was there at the meeting and every member felt that for a stronger cricket world, one needs BCCI. If anyone thinks that they can work without BCCI, they should know global cricket needs BCCI,” Thakur remarked.
Thakur, who seemed happy for veteran off-spinner Ashwin for being named as the Test Cricket of the Year, also reacted on snubbing of Virat Kohli for the ICC’s Test Team of the Year, while giving a piece of advice to world cricket governing body, ICC.
“ICC should look into the matter as India is No.1 Test team. But I am happy that Ashwin has been adjudged Test Cricketer of the Year,” he said.
“We have a lot of money but we can’t spend it. We need permission for it,” Thakur’s sarcastic remark came while he was responding to one of the questions at the promotional event for Pro Wrestling League when asked: ‘Why Board can’t have one lakh coaches for 1 lakh village panchayats’.