Focus on Thakur's affidavit ahead of BCCI SGM

- 'We are not against One State One Vote clause. All we are saying is that why can't the voter base be increased?'

The Board of Control for Cricket in India president Anurag Thakur's affidavit, to be submitted in the Supreme Court, will be the focal point of discussions when the BCCI's affiliated units meet for a Special General Meeting (SGM) in New Delhi on Saturday to deliberate upon implementation of the Lodha Committee reforms.

The other issues that could be discussed at length are 'One State One Vote' recommendation and three-year tenure with three year cooling off period.

- Report of Lodha Committee on Reforms in Cricket - Final Report, Volume 1

- Report of Lodha Committee on Reforms in Cricket - Final Report, Volume 2

The apex court had directed Thakur to file an affidavit and clarify whether he had asked the International Cricket Council to write that Lodha Panel's recommendations amounted to government interference. This was claimed by ICC Chief Executive Dave Richardson last month when he said: "The BCCI President Mr Thakur did verbally ask the ICC to write a letter to the BCCI asking whether the recommendations of Lodha Committee might constitute govt interference."

The BCCI legal team is preparing the affidavit.

According to sources close to the BCCI president, he only 'followed up on former president Shashank Manohar's earlier plea wherein he (Manohar) had stated appointment of CAG representative in Apex Council will subject to interference.'

"Since the issue was only raised by Shashank, Anurag was following up on that," a reliable source told PTI.

With Supreme Court scheduled to hear the case on Monday, it is perhaps the last chance for the Indian Cricket Board to discuss the issues which they feel will affect the functioning of the Board.

"We are not against One State One Vote clause. All we are saying is that why can't the voter base be increased? Let Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh have voting rights. But at the same time let Mumbai and Saurashtra not lose theirs," an office bearer from one of the eastern states said.

It is unlikely that members will agree on three-year term with three year cooling off period.

Many in the BCCI feel that the best idea would be to have two terms of six years with three year cooling off period in between two terms.

Incidentally, this was a proposal mooted by former Indian cricket Team Director Ravi Shastri.

While Vidarbha and Tripura have decided to accept the Lodha reforms in totality, majority of the state units still feel recommendations are unacceptable.