For long the Board of Control for Cricket in India was shrouded with controversy, and after a long tiff with the Lodha Committee, the Apex Court of the country decided to take matters in its own hand.
In January 2017, the Supreme Court of India clipped the wings of the Indian board when it decided to sack president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke in perhaps the biggest ever shake-up to the Indian power coterie.
Following this, the court also appointed a 4-member committee to run the richest cricketing board in the world and to implement all the recommendations of the Justice Lodha-committee. For perhaps the first time in the history of Indian cricket, a committee would be in charge of the proceedings the member of which are complete strangers to the power tussle which defines the game in the country.
This makes the job of this new coterie even more challenging as each of their moves would be closely monitored by not only the different state associations but also by the common Indian fans.
Here is an insight into the men who now have the mantle of anchoring the rocky ship.
#1 Vinod Rai
The new president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India has a very distinguished career and is well-known for his non-comprising stand against corruption.
The 11th Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Rai shot into prominence when he distanced himself from the 2G spectrum scam which rocked the then Indian government. He also wrote a report which tore apart the then establishment for the shambolic preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Rai has also been a Director on several Boards which include the State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, IDBI Bank, Life Insurance Corporation of India and Infrastructure Development and Finance Company of India.
People who know Rai vouch for his honesty and also maintain that he knows how to get the work done with the proper protocol. Currently, he is the chairman of United Nations Panel of External Auditors.
After his appointment, he said that his job is that of a night-watchman and his role would be to ensure a smooth transition of power.
"I am a true lover of the game of cricket. My role is that of a night-watchman in a sense that we need to put in place good governance, good system and structure in place to ensure a smooth transition to an elected body which in future will bring about good administration in BCCI," he said.
#2 Ramachandra Guha
A historian, a columnist and an avid cricket follower, Ramachandra Guha is a self-proclaimed Nehruvian who has gone on record saying that he loathes the Indian Premier League.
He is also the author of many award-winning books which include India After Gandhi and A Corner of a Foreign Field, the latter of which deals with the history of Indian cricket. He has also published a collection of essays titled 'Patriots and Partisans'.
Guha has taught at various universities in India, Europe and North America, including the University of California, Berkeley, Yale University, Stanford University and Oslo University. He was also a faculty member of the Indian Institute of Science.
With his affinity towards Indian history, there are already many jokes doing the rounds that he would bring back many age-old traditions to the Indian cricket, but the man himself is pretty upbeat about this responsibility and with his pedigree there is no denying that he has all the credentials to run the Indian board, more so during the current times when the BCCI needs some sort of stability.
#3 Vikram Limaye
The banker on the panel, Vikram Limaye is currently the CEO of IDFC, who is also a qualified Chartered Accountant and holds an MBA degree from Wharton.
An astute financial brain, Limaye has also been a part of many Government panels to chalk out a strategy. These include many critical portfolios like infrastructure, economic policy, markets, trade and minority affairs.
"Yes, my consent was taken and I consider it as a huge honour especially as I was considered worthy of this role by the Supreme Court of India. I take up the responsibility with utmost seriousness and will be working to ensure better governance in the BCCI," Limaye said after his appointment.
Limaye has always maintained that he would love to do something in the public sector and this role is his best shot at fulfilling his dreams.
He is a person who loves to stay in the present and is well aware that these appointments are not permanent and that their main job would be to put in place a proper framework at both the central and state levels according to the Lodha committee recommendations.
#4 Diana Edulji
Former Indian captain, Diana Edulji is the only sportsperson to be present in the all-powerful panel.
A distinguished cricketer, Edulji made her debut in 1976 and played 20 Tests, in which she claimed 63 wickets at an impressive average of 25.77. She played 34 ODIs and picked up 46 wickets. She was the recipient of the Arjuna Award in 1983 and the coveted Padma Shree in 2002.
“I was asked by amicus curiae Gopal Subramanium whether I would like to be a part and I had said ‘yes’. I was expecting a role but I was surprised after being named in administrators panel. It is a huge responsibility given to me by the Apex Court and I will like to do justice,” Edulji was as quoted by PTI after her appointment.
The former captain is no stranger to administrative duties as she has the experience of managing 40 Railways teams in the past.
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