CAB treasurer unhappy over age bar on BCCI office bearers

Terming the Supreme Court's order barring people above 70 years from becoming a BCCI office bearer as "discriminatory", Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) treasurer Biswaroop Dey on Monday hoped for the reconsideration of the verdict.

Accepting the majority of the Justice Lodha Committee recommendations, the apex court on Monday gave the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) six months time to implement the recommendations and appointed R.M. Lodha to oversee the transition.

Prescribing sweeping reforms and an administrative shake-up, the panel made a host of recommendations including one state one vote, ceiling on the number of terms a person could be an office bearer, age restriction of BCCI officials to 70 years and the presence of a CAG nominee on the BCCI board.

"The Indian constitution states that everyone will have the same rights. Other sports bodies can have administrators above the age of 70, then why this rule for cricket," contended Dey.

"CAB has a lot of people above 70 who can run the organisation well but it will be a problem for them too. The Supreme Court has given its verdict and the BCCI and the state associations should follow it. But it can lead to problems in the BCCI, I hope they will reconsider it," added Dey.

However, CAB president and former India captain Sourav Ganguly remained evasive on the directives.

"I have seen it on TV, but haven't read it yet. I have to see the order in full. It's a Supreme Court order so it would not be appropriate for me to comment on it without reading it," Ganguly told mediapersons here.

"It's a Supreme Court order and every association will feel the effects of it," he said.

CAB's joint secretary Avishek Dalmiya said they would discuss the issues in a meeting which might be held on Tuesday.

"We will look into it. Take a legal opinion too. It is a time taking exercise. Tomorrow (Tuesday) maybe, we will all sit down and have a discussion," he said.

--IANS

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