Calcutta: The Board of Control for Cricket in India president Anurag Thakur iterated that the Board has always been open to reforms, opposing the general perception that it's against implementing the Supreme Court-appointed Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha panel's recommendations.

Talking to reporters on Day IV of the second India-New Zealand Test at Eden Gardens, Thakur said: "If you look at the BCCI, it is open to reforms. If you look at the last 18 months, I first appointed the cricket advisory committee, hiring greats like Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly. Then selection of the coaches (Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble) and appointment of CEO and CFOs.

"We've taken various steps in the last 18 months. There's a huge list. When the recommendations of Justice Lodha came, there was a timeline set. We have lived up to the first timeline, achieved the second on September 30. As the BCCI president, I had to call all the member boards and ask them to adopt the recommendations made by Justice Lodha."

"If you look at the marathon meeting of five to six hours (last Saturday), they have discussed things at length."

Explaining why the members could not accept the one state one vote, nine-year limit and cooling-off periods, Thakur reasoned: "Look, many members felt that if Mumbai, which won Ranji Trophy in excess of 40 times, and founder members like Baroda and a state like Gujarat - coming up with a modern stadium with 1.5 lakh capacity - are taken into one-state one-vote category, then many with stadiums and with experience of hosting international matches will have their rights taken away."

Thakur refused to agree that the court will make BCCI fall in line with the recommendations. "I did not see that line in the Supreme Court order. All I want to say is we brought in reforms in the last 18 months, have passed many recommendations and adopted them as recommended.

"Many could not be adopted by members as they have given various reasons. One must appreciate that BCCI was always open about it. Even before the recommendations, we have adopted many that were not part of them.

"We have to follow the law of land. We have highest respect for the Supreme Court. That is why we are following various timelines. At the same time, we are bound by the Tamil Nadu Societies Act," he made it clear.