Defiant BCCI to elect secretary, new selection panel at Wednesday's AGM

- The Justice Lodha panel has directed the BCCI that Wednesday’s AGM must be "limited only to routine business concerning the past year (2015-16)".

With the shadow of the Supreme Court-appointed Justice Lodha panel recommendations hanging over its head, the Board of Control for Cricket in India will be conducting its 87th Annual General Meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday, with election of its honorary secretary being one of the priorities on the agenda.

The formal notice for the meeting was sent by secretary Ajay Shirke on August 31. Interestingly, one of the main issues that is to be taken up is the election of the new secretary after duly filed nominations are sent to the BCCI during a two-hour window on Tuesday afternoon, scrutinized immediately afterwards and list of eligible candidates displayed.

The election of the secretary has been necessitated as Shirke was nominated by president Anurag Thakur after the latter was elevated to the helm of affairs of the beleaguered Board on May 22, following the resignation tendered by incumbent Shashank Manohar, in accordance with Rule 13 (a) (ii) of the BCCI’s existing Memorandum of Rules and Regulations.

Shirke was to hold office till the next AGM.

The election of the secretary is to be held as per the existent BCCI rules, including the eligibility of the candidates, while former Supreme Court judge, P B Sawant, has been appointed as the returning officer, according to the BCCI's notice sent to all its affiliated units.

The meeting will also confirm the minutes of its last AGM held on November 9, 2015 as well as the three Special General Meetings held on February 19, May 22 and August 5 this year.

The other items on the agenda include adoption of the secretary's report, the treasurer's report and audited statement of accounts for the previous fiscal, annual budget for 2016-17 and other such routine matters.

Among the other topics of discussion at the meeting is the appointment of the Working Committee and Standing Committees such as the Senior and Junior selection panels under the BCCI's existing rules, in contrast to the Lodha panel's reforms that calls for pruned panels which had been approved by the Supreme Court's subsequent ruling.

Significantly, the Lodha panel has also fixed staggered deadlines for the full adoption of its reforms as approved by the Supreme Court and has also directed the BCCI that Wednesday’s AGM must be "limited only to routine business concerning the past year (2015-16)".

Already Aditya Verma, secretary of the non-affiliated (to BCCI) body, Cricket Association of Bihar – the petitioner in the case in the SC against the Board, has requested the Lodha panel - via a letter dated September 17 - to start "contempt of court" proceedings against the BCCI by pointing out the agenda for the meeting.

Among the other items on the AGM's agenda are the appointment of an Ombudsman and International and Asian Cricket Councils and similar bodies.

The agenda for BCCI's 87th AGM on Wednesday:

- Election of a new Board secretary

- Picking the selection committee

- Adding five new members to the BCCI working committee, electing standing committees and special committees.

- Appointing of a new ombudsman

- Nominating a BCCI representative to attend ICC and Asian Cricket Council meetings

- Adopting the budget for the next calendar year 2016-17

- Appointing auditors for the next financial year 2016-17