IPL 2017 under threat as chaos surrounds BCCI

The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) is currently facing a tough time due to their battle with the Lodha Panel. The recent developments has cast a shadow of doubt over the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2017). A top BCCI official has said “not a single contract has been signed yet” and preparations have begun with only four months remaining for the cash-rich annual extravaganza to begin.

BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke had previously mentioned that the 2017 edition of the IPL was under threat owing to the ongoing issues pertaining to the Lodha panel recommendations. BCCI president Anurag Thakur and secretary Shirke were required to submit an affidavit of compliance in the Court by Dec 3, elaborating on the recommendations already implemented and the steps taken to persuade member associations to adopt the recommendations in total.

The hearing, originally scheduled to take place on Dec 5, was moved to Dec 9 after Chief Justice of India TS Thakur, who is a part of the Supreme Court’s hearing bench, reported unwell. The delay has put the 2017 IPL in jeopardy with the cricket board yet to plan out the player auctions, logistics, hiring management agencies, advertising the league, and signing up third-party vendors required for the event.

“The International Management Group (IMG) begins work on IPL every year at the beginning of October. They’re not on-board yet. The opening ceremony is usually planned five to six months in advance.There’s no word on it. It’s absolute chaos,” an unnamed senior BCCI official told the Times of India.

“The (Lodha) Committee was asked to appoint an auditor and set threshold limit for contracts.The board even requested the Committee for a meeting. But nothing has moved. I hope the Committee doesn’t expect us to call some DJ Sunny from Bhatinda (pun intended) to perform at the opening ceremony .

“And if the BCCI needs to match its own standards set in the past for IPL, it needs time to work on things. Given the present uncertainty , the tournament is in real danger.”

Shirke reportedly submitted a long list of vendors the board needs to sign for the IPL to the Lodha Committee. “It’s been a month and a week now and nothing has moved,” the official said.