'No caution taken to protect the sport from the orgy of excess'

"These include serious inaction regarding betting and match-fixing, frequent amendments to the rules to enable persons in power to perpetuate their control and promote their financial interests, permitting or enabling its office bearers, employees and players to do acts which clearly give rise to conflicts of interest which have no resolution mechanism, lack of transparency and accountability, failure to provide effective grievance redressal mechanisms and a general apathy towards wrongdoing."

"It became clear that many ills had become endemic due to the apathy or involvement of those who were at the helm of the board's administration; that many of these were high functionaries in the central and state governments further compounded the problem, as did the fact that several incumbents had remained in charge of state associations for several decades. Many officials of the various state associations hold power without adhering to the basic principles of accountability and transparency by converting them into regional fiefdoms."

"Policies have been formulated and altered to suit the needs of a few powerful individuals, and coteries have formed around them, which has polarised and compromised independent leadership."

"The IPL has obviously been the most visible, remunerative and glamourised component of cricket in India over the last eight years, but with big money and attention, there has not been the necessary caution to protect the sport and its players from the orgy of excess that quickly began to envelope the event. As events unfolded over the last few years, it was clear that unsavoury interferences had reached the highest echelons of cricket and overlapping and conflicting interests were not only condoned, but those in governance of the Board had made ex-post facto amendments to facilitate the same."

"The then President Mr Jagmohan Dalmiya and Secretary Mr Anurag Thakur even sent identical responses to it. We are glad to note that having obtained a broad picture from the questionnaire about how the Committee intended to proceed, BCCI started taking some action, or at least made some announcements touching upon the contents of the questions…

"While massive funds flow into the coffers of the BCCI and the IPL through the sale of television and media rights and sponsorship deals, little commensurate advantage finds its way to the members of public who stand in snaking long queues, often unable to obtain tickets, and if lucky, to stumble into stadia without access to basic amenities."

"A most unfortunate fact that was made known to the committee was that the Indian women's cricket team had last played a Test match eight years ago. Coupled with general chauvinism, the women players receive paltry earnings and have only a one-month long domestic season."

"Rajasthan tells a different tale, with the election of an apparently unpalatable figure making the entire association, and thus the State, persona non grata."

"The priority often seems to be to have an exclusive venue with bar and dining facilities with other recreational avenues for the members, and not the promotion of cricket"

"No detailed accounts are maintained, no oversight or audit is carried out, and on the rare occasion where a particular Association has been found wanting, there is no follow-up action…"

"Those who helm the game come from mixed milieu - some are patrons seeking to promote the sport, while others seek to promote themselves, with no particular attention being paid to cricket itself…"

"As far as the BCCI is concerned, the working committee not only lays down the relevant rules, regulations and bye-laws that govern the BCCI, but also oversees their implementation and takes final decisions when a member or third party challenges either the rule or the manner of its implementation…"

"As every other Test-playing nation has a players' association, and even the players' representative at the ICC is an Indian, it is only fitting that an independent players' association is established."

"During the course of the last few months, the committee has come to learn of several instances of obvious conflict where contracts have been entered into by the BCCI, where the contractor or vendor includes family members of an office bearer. The fact that there was no voluntary disclosure makes matters worse, raising a presumption of wrongdoing and subterfuge against the individuals in question.

"Before the IPL, it could well have been argued that the BCCI felt no cause to take steps in this regard, but with its advent, the conduct of the BCCI has been to accommodate the conflict rather than to prevent it. Unfortunately, matters needed to reach the highest court of the land before the BCCI decided to take tentative steps towards setting its house in order."

"Many stakeholders, in the course of interactions with the committee, stated that very little of the functioning of the BCCI is done in a fair and transparent manner and that those who seek greater information are either rebuffed by the board or won over by enticements. Those whose professional livelihoods depend on cricket acknowledge the BCCI's total sway over the sport, and choose to remain silent rather than upset the apple cart…

"Even in regard to cricket commentary, games organised by the BCCI have a contractual condition that there can be no criticism of the BCCI or its selection process, thereby curtailing an exercise of free speech."