BCCI respects Supreme Court's verdict: Rajeev Shukla

Senior Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official and Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Rajeev Shukla said on Monday that the board respects the Supreme Court's verdict on sweeping reforms and will look into implementing the Lodha panel recommendations.

The apex court on Monday accepted the major recommendations of the Lodha Committee on reforms in BCCI including a bar on ministers and civil servants and those above 70 years of age from becoming the board's members but left it to Parliament to decide whether it should come under RTI.

"We respect Supreme Court's decision. Will look into how we can implement the Lodha panel recommendations," Shukla told television channels.

Former India cricketers Bishan Singh Bedi and Kirti Azad too came out in support of the Supreme Court's verdict.

"Let's all accept Supreme Court's verdict gracefully & humbly -- after all isn't health o Indn Crkt more imp than any personality pol/otherwise!" Bedi tweeted on Monday.

"My stand vindicated, #SupremeCourt accepts Justice Lodha committee report. Wait for my further action against #DDCA and #BCCI," Azad tweeted.

A bench of Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur and Justice Fakkir Mohammed Ibrahim Kalifulla also rejected the BCCI's objection against recommendations for one-state-one-vote and said that states like Maharashtra and Gujarat having more than one cricket association will have voting rights on rotational basis.

The apex court's verdict could affect some of the most high profile BCCI officials including current president Anurag Thakur, who also heads the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA).

Some of the other officials who could be affected are BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke, treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhary and joint secretary Amitabh Chaudhary, all of whom will now have to forego their positions in their respective state associations to avoid conflict of interest.

Former BCCI presidents Sharad Pawar and N. Srinivasan may also have to give up on their ambitions of heading the world's richest cricket body again as both of them have surpassed the age cap of 70 years. While Pawar is 75 years old, Srinivasan is 71.

Both are also presidents of their respective state associations. Pawar heads the Mumbai Cricket Association while Srinivasan is the chief of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association.

--IANS

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