The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators lifted the provisional suspensions on Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul on Thursday pending appointment and adjudication of the allegations by the BCCI Ombudsman.
The two Indian cricketers were suspended for their controversial comments in the TV show Koffee with Karan.
The CoA on January 11, following widespread outrage over the misogynistic comments from Pandya and Rahul, suspended the players through a Board of Control for Cricket in India constitutional rule. The duo did not feature in the One-day International series against Australia and are not a part of the ongoing five-match series against New Zealand as well.
Last week, the CoA had told the Supreme Court that an ombudsman be appointed to decide the quantum of punishment for Rahul and Pandya.
The CoA, in a statement said, “Since the adjudication of all allegations of misconduct against any cricketer registered with, inter alia, the BCCI is required to be undertaken by the Ombudsman, whose appointment is pending directions of the Supreme Court of India, the CoA is the of the view that the interim suspension orders dated January 11 should be presently lifted with immediate effect.”
The statement also added that the decision to lift the suspension was taken after discussions with Amicus Curiae PS Narasimha. The board, though, did not mention if the players will be part of the New Zealand series.
