The wait is prolonged. As cricket fans were eagerly waiting to know the names of the panel of administrators for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Supreme Court has thrown the ball into the courts of the union government and the BCCI asking them to suggest names and that also in sealed covers, by January 27. Incidentally, the apex court rejected the names that were recommended by the BCCI on Tuesday. The next hearing of the matter will take place on January 30.
According to PTI, a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra and also including Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, asked the board today, to suggest names of three administrators after following all procedures. These three will be representatives of the BCCI in the International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting to be held next month. The bench made it amply clear that the administrators should be picked without disrespecting the judgement and subsequent orders passed by the Supreme Court.
The BCCI currently has no president and secretary after the apex court removed Anurag Thakur and Ajay Shirke from the posts of the president and secretary respectively. Thakur has also been asked by the Supreme Court to explain why perjury charges should not be heaped on him for lying under oath. The former BCCI chief had denied seeking a letter from ICC head Shashank Manohar regarding the latter’s stance as the BCCI president against having a nominee of the Comptroller and Auditor General in the working committee of the BCCI. But Manohar contradicted Thakur and said to the apex court that the latter had indeed asked for a letter from him which he refused to issue. Thus according to Supreme Court, Thakur had concealed the truth.
With Thakur’s career as an administrator over after the court ruling, it would be interesting to note who takes charge of the BCCI at a time, when the board is going through a process of transition after the Lodha Committee recommendations. But one question still haunts: If the central government is also brought into the board’s scheme of things, won’t that tantamount to continuing with political intervention in cricket? Let’s not forget there are still some big shot politicians actively involved in the affairs of the game.
Some questions still remain unanswered!