What’s the story?
Former Indian captain and current commentator Ravi Shastri has slammed the BCCI for its move to relegate Mumbai Cricket Association to an associate member status.
He has even labelled the move according to the new constitution as a 'joke given the rich history of the board'.
“It’s a joke. I feel sad that the glorious history, tradition and contribution of the association to Indian cricket went unnoticed,” the former Team India director was as quoted by a national daily.
The Details
Ravi Shastri’s comments do carry merit as Mumbai have been the most dominant domestic side in Indian cricket history and hence this move to clip their wings perplexing.
According to the new rules laid down, Mumbai would now only be eligible to vote once in three years. Also, Maharashtra has now got the full member status. Along with Mumbai, Vidarbha which is the third association from the state The same would be applicable for Vidarbha, the third association from the state.
The clause in the new constitution states: “Each state shall be represented by a state cricket association duly recognised by the BCCI and such associations shall be Full Members. No State shall have more than one Full Member at any given point of time.”
In case you didn’t know...
The new constitution which was drafted by the Supreme Court- appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA).
The modified constitution which was uploaded on the BCCI website states: “Each State shall be represented by a state cricket association duly recognised by the BCCI and such associations shall be Full Members. No State shall have more than one Full Member at any given point of time.”
However, there is a clause which also states the that membership for multiple associations in a single state would rotate on an annual basis.
What's next?
The Vinod Rai-led panel has been constituted to usher in changes to the BCCI according to the Lodha Panel recommendations. This new constitution could be a step in that direction and it would be interesting to see if this new change brings in some transparency into the scheme of things in the longer run.
Author's Take
Over the years Mumbai cricket has been the power centre in Indian cricket and hence this move is a bit of a surprise.
However, it has to be taken into account that this move could be a step in the right direction as far as the administration of the game is concerned in the country.
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