Wait gets longer for Pandya, Rahul after SC adjourns hearing to next week

With the Supreme Court adjourning proceedings on all BCCI matters for a week, suspended Indian cricketers Hardik Pandya and K L Rahul's wait for a closure to the furore over their sexist comments got longer on Thursday.

Pulled midway out of the tour of Australia, provisionally suspended and lambasted thoroughly, the two cricketers' future was left uncertain after hearing was adjourned by the two-judge bench comprising Justices AM Sapre and SA Bobde following current amicus curiae Gopal Subramanium's resignation on health grounds.

"Now that SC has taken cognisance of the case and already asked the new amicus to come back after a week, the CoA chief cannot appoint an ad-hoc Ombudsman as it will be contempt of court," a senior BCCI official told PTI on Thursday.

The appointment of an ombudsman was sought by the Committee of Administrators (CoA) to investigate the duo's comments on hookups with multiple women and being casual about it with their families, on the show 'Koffee with Karan' with film-maker Karan Johar.

With the bench nominating former Additional Solicitor General PS Narsimha as the new amicus, the case of appointment of a permanent or ad-hoc ombudsman will only come up as and when the new amicus takes charge.

Thursday's developments mean that the return of the two players, who have already missed the ongoing ODI series against Australia, could well be delayed beyond the New Zealand series which starts next week.

Asked what's the way out now, the official said, "An ad-hoc ombudsman can still be appointed but only after the former ASG decides to take up the assignment and he is convinced that an ad-hoc ombudsman is a necessity for an early closure so that the cricketers can resume national duty."