The RM Lodha Committee, which has suggested sweeping reforms to change the way cricket is run in India, has clarified that according to one of its recommendations, an individual can be an office-bearer in both the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and in the state association for a cumulative period of 18 years (nine years in each body), but he/she would still have to serve a cooling-off period of three years (during which he can't be a part of both the bodies) after serving his/her three-year term.

Claiming that it was responding to queries about implementation of its report from state associations, members and former players, the panel listed a `first list of (FAQs) on its site.

Elaborating on how the nine-year disqualification period works in the case of an office bearer, the panel said: "If the prospective councillor office bearer has held any of the five office bearer posts at the BCCI and the cumulative period of all those tenures is nine years or more, he is disqualified from contesting for any post again." The panel has recommended a similar procedure at the state level too. "This disqualification is only to ensure that no person will have more than 9 years as councillor office bearer of BCCI," it said.

It means that a person who has held an office bearer's post in a state for nine years or more will still be eligible to be a Councillor office bearer of BCCI.

Elaborating on the `coolingoff period,' the panel said: "The cooling-off period applies after every three years as an office bearer, whether at the state association or the BCCI. During the cooling-off period of three years, no office bearer councillor's post may be held by the individual either in the BCCI or the state association.

"In case of those associations where elections are due, incumbent office-bearers are ineligible to contest because the cooling-off period will commence," the panel said.

The panel has allowed candidates who are close to their eligibility limit, in terms of the maximum period (nine years), and age (70) to contest elections for another term, provided they demit office once they're disqualified on either ground even while being in office.

Realising that certain individuals would want to hang on to their hold in the state associations by creating fancy posts of 'Advisor,' 'Assistant Secretary', 'Patron', 'Deputy Treasurer', etc, the committee has stressed that "as per the new norms, there shall only be the following five office bearer posts in any association: president, vice-president, treasurer, secretary and joint secretary."

It would also be difficult for such individuals to come back as CEO, because the committee has made it clear that "As per the recommendations, rules have to be framed for the eligibility, qualifications, appointment and tenures of the CEO and managerial staff."