Board of Control for Cricket in India

The Board of Control for Cricket in India, or BCCI, is the apex governing body for cricket in India. The board was formed in 1929. It is a society, registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act. The BCCI often uses government-owned stadiums across the country at a nominal annual rent. It is a private club consortium. Basically to become a member of a state-level association, you need to be introduced by another member and also pay an annual fee. The state-level clubs select their representatives (secretaries) who in turn select the BCCI officials. As for any private club, BCCI or the state-level associations are not required to make their balance sheets public.

As a member of the International Cricket Council (ICC), it has the authority to select players, umpires and officials to participate in international events and exercises total control over them. Without its recognition, no competitive cricket involving BCCI-contracted Indian players can be hosted within or outside the country.

The BCCI's membership generally includes the State cricket associations, though some states have more than one association. Maharashtra state, for instance, has Maharashtra Cricket Association, Mumbai Cricket Association and Vidarbha cricket association and Gujarat state has Gujarat Cricket Association, Baroda cricket association and Saurashtra cricket association. Railways and Services are also members.

The BCCI is India's richest sporting body. The BCCI's constitution provides for annual elections at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) for all posts, with a bar on re-election of an incumbent president beyond two consecutive years, "provided that the General Body may in its discretion re-elect the same person as president for the third consecutive year". The President of BCCI is Sharad Pawar (elected 29 November, 2005). Niranjan Shah is the secretary.

All the office-bearers for the year 2004-05, were elected at the annual general meeting of the Board held in Kolkata.

On January 10, 2005, the Supreme Court of India ordered the removal of Jagmohan Dalmiya from the post of patron-in-chief of BCCI and also asked the board to complete its annual general meeting (AGM) which had been adjourned on September 30, 2004.

The legality of the office-bearer's election at the board's annual general meeting (AGM) held on September 29, 2004 is subjudice.

In recent times the BCCI has been at odds with the ICC on Future Tours Program, it has formed unilateral arrangements to allow more series between India and Australia, England and Pakistan. This, however, has left out 'minnows' such as Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.