The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Anurag Thakur has been sacked following the verdict of the Supreme Court on Monday. The apex body has also removed BCCI’s secretary Ajay Shirke after failing to implement the orders to bring much-needed accountability, objectivity and transparency in the cricket body.
“This is the logical consequence. Once the recommendations were accepted by the court, it had be implemented. There were obstructions, there were impediments… Obviously this had to happen, and it has happened,” RM Lodha, the chairman of the Lodha Committee said.
In what could be termed as undemocratic, the Supreme Court will announce the names of BCCI top brass on January 19.
In a landmark decision, the court has ordered that the senior-most official and the Vice President of BCCI will be acting as board’s president and its joint secretary will act as secretary before stating that the committee will look after the affairs of board in itself.
“The court has asked me and Anurag to leave. That is fine. I don’t regret anything. I have no personal ambition. I hope the new administration runs the BCCI well,” Shirke was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times after his sacking.
#FLASH: Supreme Court removes Anurag Thakur from the post of BCCI President.
— ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2017
Currently, BCCI have five vice-presidents and three among them have crossed the age bar which has been set by the committee; Gautam Roy (East Zone), TC Mathew (West), ML Nehru (North) Dr G. Gangaraju (South) and CK Khanna (Central).
The court has also stated that the administrators are supposed to resign who are over 70 in age before implementing all the RM Lodha recommendations. The committee was formed after the betting scandal in Indian Premier League surfaced.
The Lodha reformation proposal for cricket body had included the age bar of BCCI office-holders followed by their tenure restriction which includes the scrapping of the state team influence like Maharashtra.
“Anurag Thakur & Ajay Shirkey have borne consequences of BCCI not obeying SC orders,” said Justice Mukul Mudgal.
Earlier, the apex court warned Thakur for Perjury which stands as a criminal offence and can lead to a seven year jail term.
Allegedly, the RM Lodha had stated the BCCI functionaries have been at the helm to obstruct the reforms in the cricket governing body.
“Hope cricket will be run in a better manner now. The SC decision was expected. Nobody should have obstructed its order on reforms. This is going to be great news for Indian sports, cricket in particular,” the former cricket Bishan Singh Bedi took a jibe at the long-standing tussle which results in the sacking of Anurag Thakur.
The long tussle between the BCCI and apex board-led Lodha committee has finally seen some major changes after Monday’s verdict.
“The SC decision was expected. Truth has to be prevailed. Nobody should have obstructed its order on reforms. This is going to be great news for Indian sports, cricket in particular,” Bedi concluded.