Sourav Ganguly should abide by rules and resign as BCCI President: Justice Patnaik

Former Supreme Court of India judge AK Patnaik has once again made headlines after claiming that the current Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly must step down from the post once his tenure comes to an end as per the board's new constitution. AK Patnaik played a major role in the ouster of N Srinivasan back in 2014, when he was at the helm of the BCCI.

Patnaik was responsible for making Srinivasan's position 'untenable' due to the betting and match-fixing scandal in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2013. He was the part fo the Supreme Court bench that heard the case of the 2013 scandal involving three-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR). As a result, both the teams were suspended for 2 years.

Also Read: IPL 2020 Governing Council To Decide Venue & Schedule On Friday; Read What's On The Agenda

Following the N Srinivasan ouster, the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (COA) ran the board for almost three years, but the COA tenure came to an end after the BCCI was permitted by the highest legal authority in the country to hold their elections last year in which Sourav Ganguly was elected as President unanimously. Along with the former India skipper, Jay Shah and Arun Singh Dhumal also joined the board as its secretary and treasurer respectively. 

Also Read: CSK Gives Hint Of IPL 2020 Fate In Latest Video Ft. Suresh Raina, Piyush Chawla: Watch

AK Patnaik on why Sourav Ganguly should step down as BCCI President 

While speaking to Outlook, AK Patnaik said that if the rule book says Sourav Ganguly and Jay Shah should have to cool off, then they should just go as nobody is indispensable. He also said that the cooling-off period must remain and BCCI must not be allowed to go back to its old ways. As per the new constitution, Jay Shah’s tenure ended in May while Sourav Ganguly’s tenure will end on July 27. 

Also Read: Sourav Ganguly Hints At IPL 2020 Taking Place Outside India Due To COVID-19 Situation

Patnaik further said that if a person continues with their post for long, they develop an interest in the organisation, which could put it in huge trouble in the future. He said that such a situation is happening in the country and in different spheres, which includes politics.

Also Read: Sourav Ganguly Highlights The Importance Of IPL, Says 'It Should Be Looked At Positively'

Speaking about the reason behind the removal of former BCCI President N Srinivasan from the post, Patnaik said that idea was to bring cricketers to the forefront of the game’s administration. He also said that he was was very happy to see Ganguly becoming president but since the BCCI is asking for changes in the Lodha reforms, it is due to political influence once again.

IPL 2020: Governing Council to decide venue and schedule on Friday

Earlier on Friday, July 17, the Sourav Ganguly-led board conducted a meeting regarding the future of the tournament, but chose against announcing the IPL schedule. The decision was taken since the International Cricket Council (ICC) was yet to take a call on the future of World T20 in Australia. However, on Monday, the ICC decided to postpone the T20 World Cup for next year. 

Following the announcement by ICC, the governing council will hold a meeting on Friday to decide the course of the cash-rich tournament. A member of the Governing Council has confirmed to Republic Media Network that the 2020 edition is likely to be truncated to 6 weeks and will be played between October and November in the UAE. Earlier, Sourav Ganguly has hinted at the possibility of IPL 2020 being conducted outside India.

(COVER IMAGE: AP)