CHENNAI: The Supreme Court will announce on Friday instead of Thursday the names of administrators to run BCCI. The appointments are eagerly awaited, considering the void at the top of the richest cricket board in the world, following the January 2 Supreme Court order to dismiss its office-bearers for not obeying earlier orders.
The bench of CJI TS Thakur and Justices AM Khanwilkar and YV Chandrachud had commissioned senior lawyers Gopal Subramaniam and Anil Divan to provide assistance in selecting persons to run the board and start the process of structural reforms. It was learnt that to include someone in place of the retired CJI Thakur, the court has listed the case a day later instead of Thursday.
It was initially learnt that the names of Justice (retired) Mukul Mudgal, industrialist Anand Mahindra and former cricketer Mohinder Amarnath were doing the rounds. Till Wednesday, there was no confirmation on the names. Petitioner Aditya Verma said he too will suggest names, after being asked to do so by the court.
It emerges that there are thoughts to not have a former cricketer in the mix at the moment. The first task of the panel of administrators will be to oversee the process of electing office-bearers, in the board as well as in state units. Because this requires legal and administrative expertise, there is a line of thought in favour of keeping cricketers away initially.
There is another line of thought that says involving former cricketers after appointment of office-bearers wouldn’t make sense because there will be little for them to do once this has already been done. But either way, there is no clarity.
Justice Mudgal has apparently been approached, although it can’t be ascertained if he has responded in the affirmative. He is already involved with the U-17 football World Cup to be held in October.
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