MADRAS: In a move to tighten its grip on cricket administration, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCT) proposes to amend over two thirds of its 45clause constitution and a couple of the measures may be viewed as divesting players of their traditional rights.
According to a senior BCCI member from the board president’s office, the amendments, being brought in the wake of some observations made by the Supreme Court last year in the players’ ban case, will be ratified at a special general meeting convened for August 12 and 13 at Bombay.
The proposals relate to players registration, code of conduct, formation of finance committee, tenure of office bearers, and giving more powers to disciplinary committee and the BCCI President Ranjit ‘Trophy committee will merge with technical committee and tour subcommittee with programme and fixtures committee.
One significant change proposed is that in future the captain and manager will not sit in on selection committee meetings to pick the rest of the team for tours abroad or within the country. The selectors will obtain their views before meeting to select the team.
It is proposed that in case of any “misbehavior” by any player on or off the field during a match or tour in India or abroad, the manager, nominated by the board from among its members, shall have the power to impose a fine on the spot, drop the player from the team, send him back home or immediately refer the matter to the president.
‘Another rule envisaged is that only players registered with the board or its affiliates as professional or amateur cricketers will be selected to represent the country and for board recognised tournaments in and out of India.
The rule says registered players will not be permitted to participate in tournaments anywhere unless organised or recognised by the board, but is silent on participation in Ranji Trophy on qualification of “birthplace”. The rule stipulates that a registered player can seek de recognition from the board or affiliated unit and recognition can be given only by BCCI.
The number of members of the disciplinary committee remains at five, but while the relevant clause in the present constitution, framed in 1940, says two extent cricketers will be members of the committee, the new proposal does not mention this,
After the Supreme Court observations, which a section in the BCCI felt eroded BCCT’s authority, a special committee was formed and held three sittings. It was decided to retain Clause 45 (2) of the constitution which says the action, if any, taken by the disciplinary committee as a result of an enquiry shall not be called into question in a court of law.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 31, 1990
