The Board has been given six months to implement the recommendations and Justice RM Lodha will oversee the implementation of reforms.

Here’s all you need to know about the big cricket clean-up:

Age limit of 70 for office bearers

The Supreme Court verdict accepting the Lodha Committee recommendations on age-cap of 70 years on BCCI office-bearers effectively meant the end of the road for veteran administrators like Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan, and Niranjan Shah to name a few.

While former BCCI president Pawar is 75 years old, Tamil Nadu strongman Srinivasan is currently 71 years old. Both are presidents of their respective state associations — Mumbai CA and TNCA respectively. Saurashtra Cricket Association supremo Shah, who has served BCCI for over three decades in various capacities such as secretary, joint secretary, treasurer and vice President, is 72 years old. 

Ministers and bureaucrats cannot be administrators

The court also said it did not believe that the game flourished due to a minister or civil servant holding a cricket office. 

Office bearers cannot hold posts at BCCI and state level

The SC verdict will also mean that BCCI President Anurag Thakur will have to forgo his role at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association. Secretary Ajay Shirke (Maharashtra), Treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhary (Haryana) and Joint Secretary Amitabh Chaudhary (Jharkhand) will also have to forego their positions in their respective state associations to avoid “Conflict of Interest”.

One state, one member, one vote

The SC rejected BCCI’s objection against recommendations for one-state-one-vote and said that states like Maharashtra and Gujarat, having more than one cricket association, will have voting rights on rotational basis. The one state one vote rule will hit MCA hard as now it will have to play musical chairs with other BCCI affiliates within the state – Mumbai-based Cricket Club of India, Maharashtra Cricket Association and the Vidarbha CA. 

Restriction on TV advertisements

In possibly the best news for BCCI on an otherwise somber day, the board was saved from a financial loss to the tune of Rs 1600 crore as Lodha Panel’s recommendations on curtailing the advertisement breaks during matches was overlooked by the Supreme Court. It was feared that in the wake of loss of revenue not only the smooth functioning of country’s richest sporting body will be hit but also the development of junior cricket in the country.

According to BCCI balance sheet, the operative revenue currently is approximately Rs 2000 crore, a large chunk of which comes from broadcasting rights and advertisement revenues.

The SC left it to the BCCI to examine the matter of the quality of broadcast keeping in mind the committee’s reservations about television coverage.

Bringing BCCI under the RTI, and legalising betting

If you were getting excited about the prospect of legally betting on cricket in India, that will have to wait. The court said the recommendation to legalise betting could only be implemented by an enactment of a law — meaning it falls under the parliament’s purview. The same was said about BCCI coming under RTI act.

Go Ahead For A Players’ Association

According to a report in the Time of India, the SC verdict ensured the formation of players’ association at national level with funding from BCCI and at the state level through permanent and associate members of the board.

“Those who have played the game are, therefore, better equipped to understand its nuances, its challenges and concerns relevant to its development and promotion, and cannot be left out of management,” the SC was quoted as saying by the ToI report. BCCI will be provided with some financial assistance in setting this up.

With agency inputs