Indian sports law update 12 Feb 2014
The International Cricket Council decides on pivotal policies
On Saturday, February 8th, the International Cricket Council (ICC) approved a new set of policies with majority approval, eight out of ten countries agreed to the new changes, while Pakistan and Sri Lanka did not.
According to the Times of India the six major reforms begin with forming a new executive committee, which guarantees seats for the “Big Three”, India, England, and Australia, and allows the “Big Three” to give recommendations on others to join the committee. Another significant decision was to make N Srinivasan the ICC board chairman starting from July 2014, as a two-year transitional position. N Srinivasan is currently the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and has faced his own controversies, such as his temporary suspension as BCCI president during the IPL scandal last year, as well as his IPL “conflict of interest” case, which has yet to receive a decision from the Supreme Court. Additionally, the ICC approved giving “full members” more “financial recognition based on their contributions” financially, ICC history, and “on-field performances.”
A Test Cricket Fund will be introduced to give all 10 “Test-playing nations” an opportunity to “host a home series through to 2023.” The last three policies relate to introducing a “Future Tours Programme”, aiming for a World Test Championship after 2021, and “a Pathway to Test cricket.” As these policies seem to give the “Big Three”, India, England, and Australia, more power, the new ICC policies are being labeled as controversial for cricket internationally.
In an interview to Sai Prasad Mohapatra of the Hindustan Times, N Srinivasan said he is confident that he will be able to perform both his positions with the BCCI and ICC concurrently without any foreseeable issues.
Source articles:
The ICC “Revamp”:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/top-stories/ICC-board-approves-controversial-reforms/articleshow/30041228.cms
N Srinivasan’s interview on becoming the future ICC board chairman:
https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports-news/cricketnews/i-can-be-both-bcci-and-icc-chief-no-rule-against-that-srinivasan/article1-1181921.aspx
The Indian Olympic Association suspension has been lifted
With the Winter Olympics underway in Sochi, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) held its new elections on Sunday, February 9th. After the elections on Sunday, the IOA released that the controversial candidate, Ramachandran, who is the new ICC board chairman’s, N Srinivasan’s, brother, was in fact elected unopposed as the new IOA president, as were the new secretary general, treasurer, senior vice-president, six joint secretaries, and nine executive council members.
Actual elections took place for the eight vice-presidential positions, as nine candidates were running for those spots. The newly-elected president, Ramachandran, who will be in office till 2016, did not comment about the pending cases against him in court.
The three members from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said that they were satisfied with the elections and would be sending a “favorable report” to the IOC president, Thomas Bach. Another IOC member from Fiji, Robin Mitchell, commented on Sunday that the IOC may consider lifting the IOA’s suspension before the closing ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics, so that the Indian athletes would be able to represent India’s colors at the closing ceremony.
The new president, N Ramachandran, explained that his focus is make sure that the IOA is no longer suspended. “We want to work for the benefit of athletes. They should be the beneficiaries. The athletes need funding to win medals in Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Olympics,” explained Ramachandran in an interview about his priorities as the new IOA president.
As explained in the IOC press release, the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board (EB) lifted the Indian Olympic Association’s suspension after conducting an ad hoc meeting in Sochi on Tuesday, February 11th. Robin Mitchell, the IOC member from Fiji who headed the “IOC delegation”, confirmed that the Indian Olympic Association’s new election on February 9th met all of the IOC’s clauses, specifically about the IOA not being permitted to have any person “convicted or charge-framed can run for a position within the organisation.”
Never before as the IOC lifted a suspension during an Olympic Games. The effects of the lifted suspension will be seen immediately as the three Indian athletes competing at the Sochi Winter Olympics will now be able to compete under the Indian Flag. Though they began their Winter Games experience under the Olympic flag as independent athletes, they will now be able to represent India for the duration of the Olympic Games as well as “walk behind” the Indian flag at the closing ceremony. The Indian flag will be raised in the Olympic Village to recognize the lifted suspension and the three Indian athletes now competing under their home flag.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/others/Srinivasans-brother-N-Ramachandran-elected-unopposed-as-IOA-president/articleshow/30115312.cms
https://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report-immediate-task-is-to-revoke-india-s-suspension-new-ioa-chief-n-ramachandran-1960673
https://www.lawinsport.com/sports-law-news/item/ioc-executive-board-lifts-suspension-of-noc-of-india
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