The fate of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials Sourav Ganguly and Jay Shah’s cooling-off period can be decided after two weeks as the Supreme Court has taken more time before making any final decision.
The BCCI has proposed for some several amendments to the board’s constitution, which were reformed by the Lodha Committee recommendation. Since last December, the BCCI has filed its plea twice. On Wednesday (22nd July), through a short virtual hearing, the SC has shifted their decision on this purpose to two weeks.
According to the BCCI’s new constitution, the office-bearers will have to face a mandatory cooling-off for three years after spending six years in cricket administration – BCCI and state association combined. After completing the three-year cooling-off period, they can return in the cricket administration for three more years.
Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly is the President of the BCCI while Jay Shah is the Secretary of the BCCI. Both started their role last October after they were unanimously elected for their respective chairs. However, before beginning their journey as the BCCI cricket administrators, Ganguly experienced the cricket administration roles for the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) and Shah experienced the cricket administration roles for the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA).
Both Sourav Ganguly and Jay Shah will complete their six-year period in the cricket administration in July
So, both Ganguly and Shah are set to complete their six-year period in the cricket administration in this month. As per the new BCCI constitution, both of them will have to face a cooling-off period of three years from this August. But after today’s virtual hearing, Ganguly-Shah’s fate now can be decided in August.
In their petition to the Supreme Court on 21st April 2020, the BCCI proposed, “A president or the secretary who has served in such position for two consecutive terms in the BCCI shall not be eligible to contest any further election without completing a cooling off period of three years.”
Earlier, the IPL spot-fixing petitioner and the secretary of the Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) Aditya Verma has clarified that they will have no objection if Ganguly-Shah’s cooling-off period gets waived.