Lodha fallout: BCCI's new mega-buck IPL deal could be in jeopardy

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The current IPL deal, which ends next year, with Sony Max is worth $1.6 billion and the new deal is expected to be of "astronomical value" and is supposed to be signed before August 30. © Cricbuzz

Media rights for the Indian Premier League (IPL) could be in jeopardy with BCCI office-bearers -president Anurag Thakur, secretary Ajay Shirke and treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary -ineligible to negotiate the new deal following the recent Supreme Court order to implement the Lodha committee's reform.

As per the norms laid down by the Lodha panel, office-bearers who come under "the cooling-off period", can't negotiate big contracts as they are not eligible to do so. The report, which was signed off on by the Supreme Court on July 18, said office bearers can hold office for a maximum of nine years -three three-year terms, with cooling off periods in between.

The current IPL deal, which ends next year, with Sony Max is worth $1.6 billion and the new deal is expected to be of "astronomical value" and is supposed to be signed before August 30. Sony Max, meanwhile, has the first rights of refusal. Both the parties are negotiating the deal and if they are able to reach an acceptable figure, the bidding for IPL media rights won't happen.

Sources said the new deal could be between $3 billion and $4 billion. "This deal could be null and void if the current office-bearers get into it. Technically, the current office-bearers can't negotiate any big deal. The Lodha committee is supposed to implement the reforms in the next four to six months. But people who are not eligible stand disqualified immediately ," a source close to the Lodha panel told TOI.

Thakur, Shirke and Chaudhary were unavailable for comment. However, a source close to the top brass said the Board would not go down without a fight. They are going to contest that. One top BCCI official, who didn't wish to be named, said: "We have to follow the law. If the current bunch of officials are not allowed to be a part of BCCI, we don't have much option."

It was also learnt that the Lodha panel shot off a letter to BCCI right after the Supreme Court verdict -asking the board that the judgment was operational and even hinted not to enter into any big contractual negotiations till the reforms are implemented. The board was also supposed to circulate the letter to all the associations, which it failed to do and even didn't reply or acknowledge to the panel. One association even wrote to BCCI asking why the panel's letter wasn't circulated.

The biggest blow for BCCI would be the exit of president Thakur who comes under the purview of "cooling off " period and that too after last president Shashank Manohar left the job in the second week of May earlier this year in anticipation of this ruling. Manohar was later named as the independent ICC chairman. Thakur will also have to leave his post as the head of the Himachal Cricket Association -under the same "cooling off " rule.

However, Thakur had made it clear to TOI earlier after the Supreme Court judgment came that the "cooling-off period" doesn't apply to him. The fact that he was made the joint-secretary way back in 2011 and elected the secretary last year, he is under the impression that his three-year term would start from 2015 only.

Even treasurer Chaudhary too would face the same fate on the same grounds both from BCCI and Haryana Cricket Association, which he heads. While Shirke would have to vacate his secretary's post because no representative from the associate member can hold a BCCI office. Shirke came to the board as the head of Maha rashtra Cricket Association, which is a associate member under the Lodha panel's reform of one-state one-vote policy. Shirke will also have to leave his post as the MCA president.

Even BCCI joint-secretary Amitabh Chaudhay is an IPL office bearer and thus not eligible to contest. But sources close to Chaudhary said that he has resigned from police service. He is also going to lose his post in his home state of Jharkhand. It remains to be seen whether the Lodha panel has anything in store for him in BCCI. Sources also said that the top BCCI officials , who went into a huddle in the Capital on Monday, are still trying to contest the "cooling off period" clause to oppose fresh elections this September.

© TNN