Calcutta: The Supreme Court's March 24 clarification was surely a relief for many in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), but the Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) has moved swiftly to let all concerned parties know who's the 'boss' currently.
The apex court on Friday had clarified that the maximum cumulative tenure for cricket administrators in the country would be nine-plus-nine years (in BCCI and state associations combined).
Following the clarification, the CoA issued a list of directions on Sunday "to ensure smooth and efficient functioning of the BCCI".
While looking forward to working with CK Khanna (senior-most vice-president), Amitabh Choudhary (joint-secretary) and Anirudh Chaudhry (treasurer), the CoA made it clear that all existing BCCI office-bearers will have to seek its permission for all official matters and that they wouldn't be able to function independently.
The four-member CoA, headed by Vinod Rai, has given seven specific directions in its notification.
Point No.1 says that each existing office-bearer shall be "bound to act in accordance" with the instructions of the CoA and/or shall discharge their duties only with "prior written approval" of the CoA. It further clarifies that the "existing office-bearers shall not make any statements, representations or commitments on behalf of the BCCI to any third party including to government, court, tribunal, regulatory authority, media or any cricket body or organisation without the prior written approval of the Committee of Administrators".
The notification said that the BCCI's CEO Rahul Johri and CFO Santosh Rangnekar will report "only" to the CoA. This particular direction is obviously meant to shield the CEO and CFO from being influenced by the senior BCCI officials.
Regarding payments to be made on behalf of the BCCI, the CoA has directed the joint-secretary and CEO to work together. Any such payment would need the approval of both. Any dispute regarding payments, where the joint-secretary and the CEO fail to arrive at a joint approval, would have to be brought before the CoA, whose decision then will be binding.
The last point of the notification deals with the confidentiality factor, stating that no information regarding matters of the CoA could be disclosed without prior written consent of Committee.