Bedi hails SC decision to sack BCCI President, Secretary
New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) Legendary spinner Bishan Singh Bedi on Monday hailed the Supreme Court order to sack BCCI President Anurag Thakur and Secretary Ajay Shirke, saying they had made cricket their fiefdom.
“This is a very important decision for Indian cricket and for all sportspersons,” Bedi told the media after the apex court cracked the whip on the Board of Control for Cricket in India brass for not complying with its orders to implement the R.M. Lodha Committee reforms.
A bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said that as an interim arrangement, the senior most Vice President of the BCCI will act as the President and the Joint Secretary will act as the Secretary.
“This is not a happy moment as we should not have been in this situation at the first place. A few people had made cricket their own property,” the 70-year-old Bedi said.
The Supreme Court has set January 19 for the next order when names of the interim BCCI board will be announced. It will pass a separate order on January 19 for appointing the administrator.
“Legally and in prosecutional terms, the decision was much needed and we are indebted to them (Supreme Court) for taking the bold step. I hope Indian cricket will be benefitted from this decision and clean-up will be possible now,” added Bedi.
Hope BCCI doesn’t lose more face globally: Shirke
New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) After being shown the door by the Supreme Court for not complying with the Justice R.M. Lodha panel’s recommendations, dismissed Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Ajay Shirke hoped the board does not lose its face globally.
In a landmark verdict, the apex court on Monday removed the board’s President Anurag Thakur along with Shirke for defying the Lodha panel’s recommendations to bring in structural reforms in the running of the board.
A bench comprising Chief Justice T.S. Thakur, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said that as an interim arrangement, the senior-most Vice President of the BCCI will act as the President and the Joint Secretary will act as the Secretary.
Reacting to the decision, Shirke said he is “absolutely fine” with the court’s order but hoped that the world’s richest cricket board does not lose its face globally for all the administrative mess.
“I have nothing to say. My role in BCCI is over. If SC has asked me to leave, that’s fine. I hope the new administration runs BCCI well,” he was quoted as saying by a news channel from the UK.
“I hope the new dispensation continues the good work done by the BCCI. Hope the board doesn’t lose more face globally. I also hope the Indian team is able to maintain its supremacy in all three formats of the game,” he added.
“At the end of the day, the BCCI comprises of members. It is not about me or the president. It is about the members.”
“I have no personal attachment to the post. In the past also I have resigned and I have lots of other things to do. I came back to the board as there was a vacancy and I was elected unopposed. Now it has come to this (the Supreme Court). I am completely fine with it and I have no regrets,” he added.
The court asked amicus curiae Gopal Subramanium and eminent lawyer Fali Nariman to suggest the names that will be in the committee to be headed by an administrator to oversee the functioning of the BCCI.
The apex court said it will pass a separate order on January 19 for appointing the administrator.
The bench also said that all the office-bearers of the BCCI and its affiliate state units, who are in conflict with the recommendation of the Lodha committee, will demit office.
