The Supreme Court-appointed Justice Lodha committee revealed its recommendations for restructuring the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Some of the significant points are listed below:

♦ One state, one vote: Only one cricket association representing the state would have voting rights as full members of the Board, thereby ensuring equality among the territorial divisions. Any other existing members would be associate members. So Maharashtra and Gujarat, who have three associations each, will henceforth have only one eligible association with voting rights. It is up to the BCCI to decide which association will represent the entire state. The remaining associations will become associate members and will continue to field teams for competitions as they have done in the past.

♦ Institutional teams: The three institutional teams - Services, Railways and Universities - which used to be full members, will become associate members. The same principle will apply to the clubs (CCI and NCC) as well. So they will not be having voting rights.

♦ No minister: A person shall be disqualified from being an office Bearer if he or she is a minister or government servant. Also, an office-bearer should be less than 70 years of age.

♦ Limited tenure: While all the existing office-bearers (president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and joint secretary) are retained in honorary positions, the number of vice-presidents to be pruned from five to one. The terms of these office-bearers continue to be of three years, but with a maximum of three such terms regardless of the post held, with a cooling-off period after each such term.

♦ Governance: The governance of the BCCI must be decentralised. All crucial powers and functions hitherto bestowed exclusively on the president will have to be divided across the governing body. As the zonal rotation policy is without any rational basis, the president is to be elected from among the full members, so that the best and most competent person is selected. The additional vote for the president at meetings to be deleted.

♦ Apex Council: The 14-member working committee to be replaced by a nine-member Apex Council (with one-third independent members) consisting of the office-bearers of the BCCI, an elected representative of the general body, two representatives of the players association (one man and one woman) and one nominee from the C&AG's office. Terms of eligibility and disqualification include a bar on ministers and government servants. Also, the person should be less than 70 years of age.

♦ One post: The conflicts that arise by holding office both at the BCCI and in the state associations ought to be brought to an end by automatic vacation of post at the local level when elected to the BCCI.

♦ Conflict of interest: Detailed norms have been laid down to ensure there is no direct or indirect, pecuniary or other conflict or appearance thereof in the discharge of the functions of those persons associated or employed by the BCCI, its committees, its members or the IPL franchisees. These norms shall be administered by an Ethics Officer.

♦ Professionalism: Professionalism is to be brought in by introducing a CEO with strong credentials, assisted by a team of managers, to handle non-cricketing affairs. The large number of standing committees and sub-committees created by the BCCI to be reduced to two essential ones that would advice the CEO with reference to tours, technical aspects and tournaments.

♦ Special appointments: Provision has been made to have an independent ombudsman and an independent electoral officer.

♦ Transparency: The BCCI must provide the relevant information in discharge of its public functions. The committee also recommended that the legislature must seriously consider bringing BCCI within the purview of the Right to Information Act.

♦ Oversight: An independent auditor to verify how the full members have expended the grants given to them by the BCCI.

♦ Selection committee: Each selection committee to comprise only three members. Senior selection committee to be made up of former international Test cricketers, with the most capped former player among the three chairing the committee. The president will not have a say in selections.

♦ Limited autonomy for GC: The governing council of the IPL to be reduced to nine members, comprising of three ex-officio members (the secretary, the treasurer and the CEO of BCCI), two representatives of the members of BCCI to be elected by the general body, two nominees of the franchisees, one nominee being the C&AG's councillor on the Apex Council and one being a nominee of the Players' Association.

♦ Zones: The zones would be relevant only for the purpose of the tournaments conducted amongst themselves, but not for nomination to the governance of the Board or to the various standing committees.

♦ Voice for players: There shall be a Cricket Players' Association affording membership to all international and most first-class men and women retired cricketers. This Association shall discharge assigned functions with the financial support of the BCCI.

♦ Players' agents: Players' interests are to be protected by ensuring that their agents are registered under the prescribed norms administered by the BCCI and the Cricket Players' Association.

♦ State associations: The associations that are the members would necessarily have to restrict the tenures of office-bearers and prescribe disqualifications, do away with proxy voting, provide transparency in functioning, be open to scrutiny and audit by the BCCI and include players in membership and management.

♦ Improving facilities: The BCCI should encourage the state associations to have as many cricket playing grounds and fields as possible instead of multiple stadia. Also, specific provisions are to be made to encourage cricket for women and the differently-abled.

♦ Development of sport: BCCI must make the existing stadia amenable to other sports by providing for alternate surfaces to be laid (astroturf for hockey, carpet for tennis, etc.) so that income may be generated and there would be all round development of sport.

♦ Commercial aspects: BCCI has to ensure that only breaks taken by both teams for drinks, lunch and tea will permit the broadcast to be interrupted with advertisements. Also, the entire space of the screen during the broadcast to be dedicated to the display of the game, save for a small sponsor logo or sign.

♦ Betting & match-fixing: A recommendation is made to legalize betting (with strong safeguards), except for those covered by the BCCI and IPL regulations. Also a recommendation for match/spot-fixing to be made a criminal offence.