New Delhi: The Supreme Court sacked on Monday Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Anurag Thakur and its secretary Ajay Shirke for defiantly stalling reforms ordered five months ago, plunging the game’s richest and most powerful body in turmoil.
The court also sacked all office-bearers of the BCCI and its state bodies who have resisted reforms like age and term limits suggested by a panel headed by retired Chief Justice of India R.M. Lodha.
The top court ordered Mr Thakur to show cause as to why he should not face contempt of court proceedings and criminal prosecution for perjury.
The court said that it would appoint its own panel of administrators on January 19, the next date of hearing, to run the cricket body and carry out reforms. Till then the board’s most senior vice-president will act as its president and joint secretary as its secretary.
The Lodha panel appointed by the top court had suggested a raft of reforms to clean up the functioning of the BCCI after a fixing scandal in 2013, but many of them were not introduced.
The order comes when India has just consolidated its position as the world’s top-ranked Test team, and is in the middle of a busy season.
“The turf of the cricket field is not a personal turf or fiefdom,” the court said, almost bringing down the curtain on its long-running face-off with the BCCI.
“Persons who have a vested interest in continuing in their positions in spite of the norms have ensured that the writ of the court is obstructed and impeded,” said the bench comprising CJI T.S. Thakur, besides justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud.
Mr Lodha called the order a victory for the game. “Cicket will flourish, administrators come and go… ultimately it is for the game. This decision will act like a template for all sports federations in India,” he said. The court asked all BCCI vice-presidents to commit that they would accept all the recommendations.
“One should understand that when the order of the Supreme Court has come, it has to be obeyed by all. It is the law of the land. Nobody can escape it,” Mr Lodha said.
In his reaction, Anurag Thakur said that it was not a personal battle, and took a subtle dig at the court order. “It was a battle for autonomy of a sports body…If the court feels that BCCI could do better under retired judges, I wish them all the best,” the BJP MP said.
Mr Thakur’s remarks came after the court said he washed his hands of his duty and obligation to ensure compliance. “…Prima facie Mr Thakur is liable to be proceeded with for contempt of court…he made falls statements before this court,” said the top court, which also slapped restrictions on the BCCI’s accounts last year.
The court has ordered Mr Thakur to explain why he allegedly lied on oath about seeking a letter from the International Cricket Council stating that the Lodha panel recommendations amounted to government interference.
The BCCI’s sacked secretary, Ajay Shirke, said he had no problem with the court order. “I will go. If the highest court of the land wants me to leave, I’d leave happily, I have no issues,” he said.
The Lodha panel was appointed in early 2015 to reform the running of Indian cricket in the wake of an Indian Premier League (IPL) corruption scandal. The committee later made a number of sweeping recommendations, but the BCCI did not carry out all the reforms, despite an order from the Supreme Court in July last year.
The SC has requested senior advocates Fali S. Nariman and Gopal Subramanian to assist the court in nominating persons of impeccable integrity for the panel.
