Sourav Ganguly's tenure as BCCI President alright to be extended: CAB's Aditya Verma

Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) secretary Aditya Verma recently stated that his lawyers will not be opposing the “cooling-off” period waiver of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah. On Wednesday, July 22, the Supreme Court of India will hear a BCCI plea that allows the cricketing body to modify its constitution. The modification is intended to enable Sourav Ganguly and Jay Shah to remain in their positions as BCCI President and Secretary respectively instead of going on a mandatory cooling-off period.

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Aditya Verma confirms CAB’s stance on BCCI President Sourav Ganguly

Aditya Verma is the original petitioner of the Indian Premier League 2013 (IPL 2013) spot-fixing scandal. His petition and the outcome of the scandal led to the formation of the Lodha Panel, a committee appointed by Supreme Court in 2015 to analyse and implement actions for improving the BCCI.

While speaking with the PTI, Aditya Verma said that former Indian captain is the “best man” to lead BCCI. He believes that both Ganguly and Jay Shah can “stabilise BCCI” if they get a full term. On behalf of the CAB, Verma maintained that he has no problem if Sourav Ganguly is allowed to continue as BCCI President as he has already lost four out of his nine months at the office to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

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According to a BCCI constitution, any office-bearer in either a state association or board itself should take a mandatory cooling-off period of three years after serving for six years. Both Sourav Ganguly and Jay Shah were appointed as BCCI President and Secretary in October 2019 when only nine months were remaining for the completion of their cumulative six years at the state and national cricketing units. Before being appointed as the President of the richest cricket board in the world, Ganguly was also the President of the Cricket Association of Bengal between 2015 and 2019.

Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI’s take on IPL 2020

As BCCI President, Sourav Ganguly is currently contemplating several measures to organise the much-awaited Indian Premier League 2020 (IPL 2020) sometime later this year. The IPL 2020 was originally intended to launch on March 29 before the coronavirus pandemic-induced India lockdown prompted the BCCI to enforce an indefinitely delay on the tournament. Recent reports now indicate that IPL 2020 is likely to be played between September 26 and November 8 with UAE emerging as the frontrunner to host the event.

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Image credit: AP