N. Srinivasan, Sharad Pawar Face Exile After Lodha Panel Recommends Age, Tenure Limits
The Justice Lodha panel has suggested sweeping changes for better governance of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. If the age and tenure clauses come into effect, former BCCI presidents N. Srinivasan and Sharad Pawar will be forced to retire from Board politics.
The Justice Lodha committee submitted its report on the structural changes in the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Among several recommendations made to the Supreme Court, the one on eligibility criteria for becoming a BCCI office-bearer may end the career of at least two septuagenarian cricket administrators. (Full Report)
The Lodha panel report states that a BCCI office-bearer (president, vice-president, secretaries and treasurer) must not be a minister or government servant and they must have not held office in the BCCI for a period of nine years or three terms. The Lodha committee also stated that no BCCI office-bearer must be over 70. (Highlights)
If the Supreme Court makes the age-factor binding on BCCI, then Sharad Pawar and N. Srinivasan will never be able to become Board chiefs again.
Pawar, who is the president of the Mumbai Cricket Association, is 75 while Srinivasan, who is the president of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association is 71. Srinivasan, in particular, was keen on a second term as BCCI president till he was stood down by the Supreme Court in the wake of the IPL 2013 betting scam that featured his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan.
Saurashtra Cricket Association supremo Niranjan Shah, who is 71, Punjab Cricket Association top bosses Mohinder Pandove and Inderjit Singh Bindra, who are both over 70, may find it difficult to continue in their respective state associations. Even if they do, they will not be allowed to hold posts in the Board. Shah has been a past secretary while Bindra was president. (Sundar Raman Gets Clean Chit)
Till last year, Srinivasan was one of the most powerful persons in world cricket. Following legal hurdles, the BCCI removed him as the chairman of the International Cricket Council. Srinivasan's attempt to have his man as president of BCCI following Jagmohan Dalmiya's death also came to nought after Shahshank Manohar took over for the second time.
Pawar has also been a heavyweight in India's cricket politics. He won the MCA elections handsomely by defeating a Shiv Sena rival. Srinivasan had knocked Pawar's door to neutralise his rivals but failed to stop Manohar from succeeding Dalmiya.
If the Lodha Panel recommendations are made legally binding by the Supreme Court, then Srinivasan and Pawar will have no roles to play in the BCCI.