NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday cleared the amendment to the BCCI constitution and paved the way for its chairman Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah to continue to perform his duties without having to respect the mandatory cooling-off period.
A bench of judges DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli said a member of the office can serve a continuous term of 12 years, including six years in the state association and six years in the BCCI before the three-year cooling-off period years does not go off.
The bench said a board member can hold a particular office for two consecutive terms, both at the BCCI and state association level, after which he would have to serve a three-year cooling-off period.
“The purpose of the cooling off period is not to create unwanted monopolies,” the bench said.
The higher court order came on the council’s plea to change its constitution regarding the terms of its office bearers, including its chairman Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah, by removing the mandatory cooling-off period between the terms of the board members in the State Cricket Associations and the BCI.
The BCCI, in its proposed amendment, called for the abolition of a cooling-off period for its officers, which would allow Ganguly and Shah to continue in their roles as president and secretary despite having completed six years in the respective state cricket associations.
Previously, the committee headed by Justice RM Lodha had recommended reforms to the BCCI which were accepted by the Supreme Court.
The BCCI constitution, which was previously approved by the higher court, stipulates a mandatory three-year cooling-off period for anyone who has served two consecutive terms of three years each in the state cricket association or BCCI. .
While Ganguly was a board member of the Bengal Cricket Association, Shah had served in the Gujarat Cricket Association.
A bench of judges DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli said a member of the office can serve a continuous term of 12 years, including six years in the state association and six years in the BCCI before the three-year cooling-off period years does not go off.
The bench said a board member can hold a particular office for two consecutive terms, both at the BCCI and state association level, after which he would have to serve a three-year cooling-off period.
“The purpose of the cooling off period is not to create unwanted monopolies,” the bench said.
The higher court order came on the council’s plea to change its constitution regarding the terms of its office bearers, including its chairman Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah, by removing the mandatory cooling-off period between the terms of the board members in the State Cricket Associations and the BCI.
The BCCI, in its proposed amendment, called for the abolition of a cooling-off period for its officers, which would allow Ganguly and Shah to continue in their roles as president and secretary despite having completed six years in the respective state cricket associations.
Previously, the committee headed by Justice RM Lodha had recommended reforms to the BCCI which were accepted by the Supreme Court.
The BCCI constitution, which was previously approved by the higher court, stipulates a mandatory three-year cooling-off period for anyone who has served two consecutive terms of three years each in the state cricket association or BCCI. .
While Ganguly was a board member of the Bengal Cricket Association, Shah had served in the Gujarat Cricket Association.