Sourav Ganguly's hopes of becoming BCCI President vanishes after Lodha committee response to FAQ

What’s the story?

The Lodha Committee has issued a seven-point response to the queries posted regarding the administrative reforms stated by the panel as per the directives of the honourable Supreme Court of India.

The major talking points surround the future of Sourav Ganguly, who is now serving as the President of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) and someone who is seen as a frontrunner for the post of BCCI President. The response from the court also gives an indication of the future of Ajay Shirke, the ousted BCCI secretary, with the administrative future not looking too bright for either of the two.

In case you didn’t know....

Following the confrontational approach adopted by the BCCI in response to the recommendations of the Lodha Committee, the Supreme Court of India came down hard on the India’s richest sporting body by ousting president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke from their posts on January 2.

The court had also warned other holders of various administrative posts in the BCCI as well as other state associations to step down from their posts if they did not meet the eligibility criteria as laid down by the Lodha committee.

The heart of the matter

With confusion still persisting regarding the various rules regarding various administrative posts, the Lodha committee has come out with a seven-point response to the most common queries.

The most important one regards the future of former Indian skipper, who by virtue of his association with the CAB in administrative posts, first as secretary and then President, will have to abide by a ‘3-year cooling off period.’ This means that even if he gets elected as the next BCCI president, he will have to step down as soon as his three-year period as an administrator is up.

The condition is severe for Ajay Shirke with the Lodha Committee making it clear that he cannot have any association with BCCI either in a direct role or as a member or advisor of any of the state associations. Shirke was contemplating using his influence within the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) to continue to enjoy a role in the administrative running of the BCCI.

What next?

The Lodha Committee have also made it clear that any individual can only have a maximum of 9 years in cricket administration, including state associations. This ruling will mean that CAB treasurer Biswarup Dey will have to step down soon as he has now completed 10 years as an office-bearer at the CAB.

It was also made clear that the various state associations can hold elections to choose the next set of administrators but with the warning that the people so chosen should meet the various eligibility as stated by the Lodha Committee.

Sportskeeda’s take

Sportskeeda has always welcomed the steps taken by the Lodha committee to clean up the image of the BCCI as far as cricket administration is concerned. The initiative taken to come clean on the various doubts regarding the eligibility criteria will also help the BCCI and other state associations to conduct a smooth selection and choose individuals who fit the role in every respect.