Under pressure to resolve the crisis triggered by Justice R M Lodha committee’s verdict on the IPL betting scandal, an embattled BCCI today decided to constitute a working group to study the order and give recommendations within six weeks.
The decision to form the group was taken at the crucial IPL Governing Council meeting here where members discussed the implications of the verdict, suspending Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals from the IPL for two years.
The BCCI said that it will adhere to the verdict in totality. The Board will reveal the names of the working group members tomorrow.
“BCCI respects the verdict of the Lodha Commission and will abide by their decisions, in toto. The members recognised that there is an urgent need to understand the impact of this decision and the wider ramifications for BCCI in detail, so as to uphold the paramountcy of the game in our country,” the Board said in a statement after the meeting which lasted little over an hour.
“The IPL GC hence authorised the Chairman, Shri Rajeev Shukla, to constitute a working group which will study this verdict, in consultation with all our key advisors and explore all the possible measures to be adopted, with an objective to protect the interests of all the stakeholders involved,” it added.
The Board said the recommendations of the group will be sent to the BCCI’s all-powerful working committee.
“This group will work within a time bound period of 6 weeks and report their recommendations to the IPL GC, which will deliberate and share their views with the working committee of the BCCI, for further action,” it said.
IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla said the members of the group would be finalised by tomorrow.
“House has entrusted me with responsibility to make a small group that will take 6 weeks to submit a report as to how we implement the order and way forward for IPL. How to conduct IPL, how many teams and all stakeholders CAC members, sponsors, broadcasters, state associations, legal experts that report will come to GC and it will go WC which will take decision,” Shukla said.
“Members will be announced tomorrow. We have decided to implement Justice Lodha verdict in spirit and decided to work accordingly. All stakeholders have given their opinion, everybody is of the view that the show must go on. And I reiterate that IPL 9 will be bigger and greater,” he asserted.