Former India opener and member of Lok Sabha Gautam Gambhir has put his weight behind current BCCI president Sourav Ganguly getting an extension. Gambhir stressed on the need for having people like Ganguly in Indian cricket administration.
“Personally speaking, I am not a big fan of cooling-off period for office-bearers. I have said this before and I will say it again that Indian cricket needs individuals like Sourav Ganguly. They not only have minds of their own but they also have vision and ability to lead inclusive growth. Besides, he knows his weaknesses better than his strengths and knows how to work on them. It will be a shame if Dada has to leave after 10 months. At the same time, I am not suggesting to undo the fantastic work done by Lodha Committee,” Gambhir wrote in his column.
Gambhir also mentioned that he wouldn’t want to see another round of ‘courtroom deliberations’ as the BCCI is looking in to ways and means of extending the tenure of the recently elected office bearers.
“There is a lot of talk about ways and means being discussed to extend the tenure of newly-elected BCCI office-bearers. The agenda circulated for the December 1 AGM of the board clearly suggests that we haven’t heard the last on this matter. The voice from the Lodha camp is that this will be “ridiculing Supreme Court”. This is understandable considering the efforts that the RM Lodha Committee had put in to suggest reforms for the BCCI constitution. I hope we are not heading for another episode of courtroom deliberations,” Gambhir wrote.
BCCI’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) next month will likely see an attempt to amend major clauses in the Justice RM Lodha Committee report for the cricket body’s reforms.
The agenda for the AGM on December 1, circulated to its units, proposes amendments to key clauses in BCCI’s new statute, drawn up on the basis of the Lodha report and approved by the Supreme Court. It is seen as a bid to remove the ‘cooling-off’ period, to allow president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah—their terms are now to 10 months—get a full term.
Elected in October, both have to step down next year unless the AGM tweaks the clause that requires office-bearers to enter a three-year cooling-off period after six years in office, in a state unit or BCCI. The SC will have to approve the amendments.
WhatsApp us