BCCI makes major changes to IPL governing council

The BCCI has made major changes to the structure and functioning of the IPL governing council, halving its strength, slashing the term of its members and limiting their powers. The decisions were announced after the board's annual general meeting on Wednesday, at which it also decided to investigate alleged irregularities committed by three franchises.

The one decision taken by default was the removal in toto of Lalit Modi, the man most closely identified with the IPL, from its operations. He is no longer part of the BCCI or the IPL, which he raised from its official status of a subcommittee to a billion-dollar organisation. "Modi is not part of the BCCI any more," board president Shashank Manohar said. "Now he cannot say that he is the suspended IPL chairman."

Instead, the board formally installed Chirayu Amin as the chairman of the governing council, which includes five other members - Arun Jaitley, Ranjib Biswal, Anurag Thakur, Ajay Shirke and Rajiv Shukla. I S Bindra, the former BCCI president and currently adviser to the ICC, and Farooq Abdullah have been dropped from the panel.

The committee will also include two former cricketers, who will no longer receive the Rs.1 crore (approx $220,000) annual salary. One of those is Ravi Shastri who, Manohar said, had agreed to work in an honorary capacity. Manohar said he was yet to talk to Sunil Gavaskar or Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, the two other former cricketers on the original council. When pressed about Gavaskar, Manohar's response was sharp. "Who said he is not included?," he asked, and continued, "we haven't spoken to him because we have to talk to them before we appoint them. Earlier they were paid Rs 1 crore for being on the governing council but now they have to work honorary so we have to get their consent."

Gavaskar admitted he had not been approached but said he was wiling to work with the board in any capacity. "Nobody from the BCCI has contacted me. I don't even know what has happened. I have not heard anything and I still don't know whether I am in or out of the Governing Council," Gavaskar told news channel NDTV. "I will get associated with it (cricket) if board asks me to do so. It's a privilege and I have no issues. What I am today is because of cricket."

The term of the council's membership was slashed to one year - the earlier tenure was five years. The constitution has been amended so that only the board secretary, currently N Srinivasan, is authorised to sign contracts on behalf of the IPL. The board also unanimously decided that no payment will be made to any member of the governing council.

The BCCI also appointed new committee heads: Jyotiraditya Scindia (finance), Farooq Abdullah (marketing), Ajay Shirke (NCA construction and infrastructure committee) and Venkat Sundaram (grounds and pitches). Anil Kumble takes charge of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), replacing Ravi Shastri. Dilip Vengsarkar will chair the cricket development committee, which includes former cricketers Arshad Ayub, Chetan Chauhan, Pranab Roy and Prashant Vaidya.

The board also decided to issue showcause notices against three IPL teams - Rajasthan Royals, Kings XI Punjab and the newly constituted Kochi franchise - for various irregularities committed during their contracts. The Rajasthan and Punjab sides will receive notices for irregularities, and for the breach of the terms and conditions of the franchise agreement. Kochi, on the other hand, will be asked to incorporate their joint venture within ten days or face action from the BCCI.

During the meeting, the board was appraised of several irregularities discovered during the audit of IPL 2010 Accounts. As a result, the members have decided to lodge police complaints against the companies Ticket Genie and Visual Impact.

The board also decided to withdraw the suit filed against its former president and one-time ICC chairman Jagmohan Dalmiya in the Bombay High Court, and the expulsion imposed on him in 2006. Dalmiya said he felt vindicated by the board's decision.