CRICKET

Thakur, Shirke cannot discharge any role in cricket administration: Lodha panel

CRICKET-IND-BCCI (File) Ousted BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke(left) and president Anurag Thakur | AFP

This was issued in a fresh set of clarifications posted by the Lodha committee on its website

Justice R.M.Lodha led committee, on Thursday, made it clear that a disqualified office bearer can no longer be associated with cricket administration. This was issued in a fresh set of clarifications posted by the Lodha committee on its website. This means that Anurag Thakur and Ajay Shirke, ousted president and secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), cannot represent their respective state associations in the BCCI or India at the International Cricket Council meeting. 

“In keeping with the spirit of the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s judgment, a disqualified office bearer is no longer to be associated with cricket administration. He/she is disqualified from being a representative or nominee of the member association or the BCCI and cannot discharge any other role in or on behalf of the association or the BCCI. He/she cannot function within the association in any patron/advisory capacity, nor be a member of a committee or council,” said the Lodha Committee. 

The Lodha Committee did not take any specific names. However, a BCCI press release on September 21 had announced that in the board's 87th Annual General Meeting held on the same day, Thakur (then BCCI president) would represent it in the ICC and Asian Cricket Council. Sharad Pawar was nominated as alternative representative at ICC. Shirke, too, was chosen to represent India in the chief executive's committee meetings of ICC. 

While Thakur and Shirke were removed from their posts by the Supreme Court on January 2, Pawar stands disqualified as he has completed more than 8 years in both BCCI and Mumbai Cricket Association. 

Shirke had recently, after standing down from his post as Maharashtra Cricket Association president, gotten the state association to make him its representative with voting rights in the BCCI. 

It stated that if a member had completed part of three year term and gets elected to an office bearer post, “he will not have a full term.” This means former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly, who will complete three years in Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), will not be able to compete in the elections for BCCI president as he would have to demit office in two months time after elections. Ganguly has held the office of joint secretary and secretary of CAB for a year each and is currently the CAB president—a post which he has held for the last eight months. 

The Lodha Committee also clarified that any elections held by state associations, who have not amended its constitution to include the reforms, will be declared null and void. Hyderabad Cricket Association was scheduled to hold its elections on January 17. Former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin, who was banned by BCCI on match fixing charges, filed his nomination for post of president. He challenged the ban and was exonerated by the Andhra Pradesh High Court in 2012. The BCCI had chosen not to challenge the verdict in Supreme Court. Even Rajasthan Cricket Association is looking to hold elections. In both cases, the matter is subjudice. While there is no hurdle for holding the elections [subject to orders of any court], if any election is held which is inconsistent with the committee’s report and the judgment of the Supreme Court, then the same will be treated as void and with no legal sanctity.

Lastly, the Lodha Committee clarified, yet again, that after SC amended its January 2 order on January 3, the total number of years that any cricket official could hold any post at any level be it state or BCCI is nine. “For example, one who has been the office bearer of a state association for nine years is disqualified from returning to cricket administration, either at the BCCI or at any state association. Similarly, one who has been an office bearer at the state for five years and then at the BCCI for four, will also be disqualified.”

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