The Supreme Court on Monday said former Board Of Control For Cricket In India (BCCI) President N Srinivasan cannot represent the board in the April 24 International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting as he has been held guilty of "conflict of interest" and "abuse of authority".
An apex court bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra allowed BCCI Acting Secretary Amitabh Chaudhary to represent the board in the ICC meeting and asked the cricket body’s Chief Executive Officer Rahul Johri to accompany him.
The court was informed that Srinivasan and Niranjan Shah, who were rendered ineligible to become office-bearers of the BCCI and state cricket associations by virtue of the apex court's verdict, could participate in the special general body meeting of the BCCI on Tuesday, and may be nominated to take part in the ICC meeting.
The top court, on January 22, 2015, had barred Srinivasan from contesting any BCCI polls unless he forsakes ownership of an Indian Premier League (IPL) team.
The court had also assailed the amendment in BCCI rules permitting cricket administrators like Srinivasan to have commercial interest by owing teams in the IPL and the Champions League on grounds of conflict of interest.
During the hearing on Monday, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal and advocates representing the parties in the matter said that Amitabh Chaudhary was a qualified person and could be nominated to attend the ICC meeting.
Senior advocate P Chidambaram, appearing for the apex court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA), said the issue was whether a person who has been disqualified by virtue of the court's verdict, could be nominated to represent the BCCI in the ICC meeting in which revenue-sharing between the members of the apex cricket body would be discussed.
Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, who was appearing for the cricket associations of the armed forces, association of universities and railways, told the court that a person having the know-how and experience of at least 15-20 years in the affairs of cricket body should go to attend the ICC meeting.
To this, the bench said, "we agree on this. We can send this second man (Niranjan Shah) who is 74 years old but having an experience of 40 years."
"We have names of two persons in our mind, Shah and Chaudhary," the bench said, after which Chidambaram said the court can appoint anyone to attend the ICC meeting but Johri should be allowed to accompany him.
"We will zero in on Amitabh Chaudhary, who is the acting secretary of BCCI," the bench said and posted the matter for further hearing on July 14.
The court was hearing CoA's interim application seeking clarification on whether persons, who are rendered ineligible to hold posts in cricket bodies as per the July 18, 2016 judgement, can be nominated as a BCCI representative to take part in the ICC meeting.
The CoA had said the apex court had accepted suggestions of the Justice RM Lodha panel on the issue of eligibility criteria for becoming office bearers in the BCCI and state cricket bodies and one of the conditions was a person, above the age of 70 years, could not hold an office in these bodies.
Earlier, the court had accepted major recommendations of the Lodha Committee on reforms in the BCCI including a bar on ministers and civil servants and those above 70 from becoming its members. It had also accepted the recommendations of the panel that there should be a comptroller and auditor general (CAG) nominee in the BCCI and one-state-one-vote principle be applied.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
POPULAR