BCCI names former SC judge Katju to interact with Lodha Panel

Mumbai, Aug 2 (IANS) The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday appointed former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju as the head of a legal panel to guide the board in understanding the recommendations of the Justice R.M. Lodha Committee which have been approved by the apex court.

The BCCI working committee said the panel will be a single-point interface for the national cricket board to interact with the Justice Lodha Committee as well as to advise and guide the BCCI.

Katju will be assisted by three eminent counsels, including BCCI legal advisor Abhinav Mukerjee.

Katju is a former chairman of the Press Council of India (PCI). Prior to his appointment at PCI, he served as a judge at the Supreme Court. Before being elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court, he had served as chief justice of Delhi High Court and Madras High Court, and as acting chief justice of Allahabad High Court.

Most of the state associations of the board are against the age cap of 70 years and total tenure of nine years proposed by the Lodha panel and approved by the apex court.

"The members were in one voice of the view that the recommendations were complex and would involve large-scale changes to be implemented across the board. Many technical and legal aspects were likely to come up in the future," BCCI said in a statement.

"Considering the complexities of the issue, it was unanimously decided that a panel headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court assisted by three eminent counsels, including Abhinav Mukerjee, the counsel of BCCI, be formed."

"This panel will be a single-point interface for the BCCI to interact with the Justice Lodha Committee as well as to advise and guide the BCCI. Accordingly, it was unanimously decided that retired Justice Markandey Katju will head the said panel," the board added.