Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, in a column for mid-day, wrote that he would “love to see Sourav Ganguly and his team” carry on in their positions in the Board of Control for Cricket in India till the end of 2023 World Cup that the country will be hosting.
BCCI president Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah have filled a petition with the Supreme Court to extend their tenures till 2025. While Shah’s current stint with the BCCI was reportedly over in May, Ganguly’s is set to end on July 27. The Apex court will deliver its verdict on the matter on August 17.
The cricket board’s constitution states that a person has to serve a three-year cooling-off period if he/she has served two successive terms or six years as an office-bearer in the BCCI or any state association.
Gavaskar said that the Supreme Court’s decision to postpone hearing’s for the BCCI’s petition has “left Indian cricket in limbo.”
“Sure, there are many more important cases than cricket before the highest court in the land but Indian cricket lovers are anxiously awaiting the decision,” wrote Gavaskar.
Gavaskar put his weight firmly behind Ganguly and said that the latter is capable of achieving great success as an administrator, just as he did as the captain of the Indian team.
“Personally, I would love to see Sourav and his team carry on till the end of the 2023 World Cup in India but let’s see what the court decides. Just like Sourav lifted the Indian team after the early murky times and restored the faith of the Indian cricket lovers, so also he and his team look capable of doing that with the BCCI administration,” wrote the 71-year-old.
It is not yet clear if the current group of office bearers can continue in their roles till the SC verdict. The BCCI is also in the midst of finalising details for organising the Indian Premier League, which is to be shifted to United Arab Emirates