The Indian Supreme Court on Thursday "warned that there will be no domestic cricket matches" if the Board of Control for Cricket in India and its members "do not fall in line" with the Lodha committee reforms, and "threatened to pass an order within 24 hours to stop all BCCI payments to the State cricket associations for hosting domestic matches, including the Ranji Trophy," according to Krishnadas Rajagopal of THE HINDU. The apex court indicated that it "may also direct the reimbursement" of Rs 400 crore ($60M) disbursed by the BCCI to the State cricket associations on Sept. 30 in a Special General Meeting. A committee led by Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur "gave an ultimatum to the BCCI" to to give an undertaking by Oct. 7 to "unconditionally" comply with the reforms of the Lodha Committee upheld by the Supreme Court. Thakur said, "What do you want? Either we pass orders tomorrow or you give us a statement that you will abide unconditionally by the recommendations and directions of the Lodha Committee." To this, the BCCI, represented by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, responded "it was not possible" for the Board to persuade all the member State associations to fall in line within the next few hours. The BCCI submitted that it had "no powers to force compliance from its member State associations." Thakur: "If the associations are reluctant to reform, why do you continue to give them money? You are giving crores of money to them even as they refuse to reform?" A BCCI spokesperson said, "We exist because of them." Thakur responded, "They exist because of you" (THE HINDU, 10/6).
