SC verdict on Lodha Panel recommendations: What happens to Sharad Pawar and N Srinivasan?

Worst affected by the SC verdict are former BCCI presidents Pawar, who is 75 years old, and Srinivasan, who is currently 71 years old. Both are presidents of their respective state associations — Mumbai CA and TNCA respectively.

India’s apex court on Monday accepted the Lodha committee recommendations in its verdict on the issues pertaining to the BCCI. The most important recommendation on age-cap of 70 years on BCCI office-bearers meant that the few veteran administrators like Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan, Niranjan Shah etc, who have been calling the shots in BCCI since a long time, will have to bid goodbye to cricket. ALSO READ: Lodha Committee recommendations to Supreme Court on Indian cricket: All you need to know.

The Supreme Court (SC) verdict will also mean that the existing BCCI President Anurag Thakur (HPCA), Secretary Ajay Shirke (MCA), Treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhry (HCA) and Joint Secretary Amitabh Chaudhary (JSCA) will have to relinquish their positions in their respective state associations to avoid “Conflict of Interest”. The SC has given the board six months’ time to implement the recommendations.

Worst affected by the verdict are former BCCI presidents Pawar, who is 75 years old, and Srinivasan, who is currently 71 years old. Both are presidents of their respective state associations — Mumbai CA and TNCA respectively. SCA chief Shah, who has served the BCCI for over three decades in various capacities such as secretary, joint secretary, treasurer and vice President, is 72 years old. ALSO READ: Sourav Ganguly among four in BCCI panel to study Lodha Committee ruling.

Shah admitted that he is “disappointed” but has to “respect” the Apex Court’s order. “Yes, I am very disappointed but this is the verdict of the Apex Court of the country, which will have to respect,” Shah told PTI. The Saurashtra strong-man, however, feels that it will at least take another 18 months to fully implement the SC verdict. “The BCCI will have to first implement it at their end and then the state associations will have to also implement the same. In my understanding it will take another 18 months to put everything in order as per Lodha Committee recommendations,” Shah said.

However, when asked as to who would replace him in SCA, where he has ruled the roost for over three and half decades, he said, “My members had given mandate to work for the betterment of cricket in the region. Saurashtra has one of the best international stadiums right now. We would be hosting a Test match and we have ODIs, and T20s. We have also successfully hosted the IPL”. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for these BCCI stalwarts.