CHENNAI: Eyes of the cricketing world will once again be on the Supreme Court on Friday. The special three-member bench is scheduled to name a panel of administrators to run BCCI, which has been without office-bearers following the January 2 court order to dismiss them.
There has been a change in the line-up of judges, where Justice Dipak Misra has replaced the retired CJI TS Thakur. Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud are the other members of the bench. It has been learnt that Justice Misra’s inclusion took time and that’s why naming administrators was deferred by a day. He is a former Chief Justice of the Patna and Delhi High Courts.
As per indications, along with former cricketers and legal experts, names of former bureaucrats and emiment journalists can also be submitted to the court. According to earlier reports, this body was expected to include cricketers, legal experts and an industry heavyweight. Since there can be several names, it’s up to the bench to select three and appoint them to run the board.
The apex court in its January 3 order commissioned senior advocates Anil Diwan and Gopal Subramaniam to suggest three names to run BCCI. Whistle-blower and petitioner in the IPL corruption case and the subsequent cases, Aditya Verma too will suggest names. “I was asked by the court on January 3 to submit names,” he said on Thursday.
First task of this panel would be to conduct elections to appoint new office-bearers. State units will also have to amend constitution and incorporate new rules before electing office-bearers. So those picked will have to devote almost all their time to board matters.
Shetty, Sridhar under scanner
In a separate development, Verma has written to the Lodha panel against Ratnakar Shetty and MV Sridhar continuing in the roles of BCCI’s general manager (administration) and general manager (game development), respectively.
Verma’s contention is that both have completed nine years in different capacities as office-bearers of their state associations. He also questions Shetty’s credibility, saying that he had filed a false affidavit in support of former BCCI president Anurag Thakur.