Board of Control for Cricket in India President Anurag Thakur and Secretary Ajay Shirke "were removed by the country's top court on Monday for failing to implement administrative reforms within the body," according to Suchitra Mohanty of REUTERS. In July, the court "accepted most of the recommendations of a three-member panel" it had set up "to look into the operations of the world's richest cricket board following a fixing scandal" during the '13 Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition. The BCCI rejected "a few" of the recommendations made by the panel headed by former Chief Justice R.M. Lodha, who said, "One should understand that once the order of the Supreme Court, the highest court of the land, has come it has to be obeyed by all ... nobody can escape it" (REUTERS, 1/2). The BBC reported "the court said it would appoint observers to run cricket administration in India until a new president and secretary" are appointed. Thakur said in a statement, "Running BCCI was not a personal battle but a battle for the autonomy of the sports body. If the Supreme Court judges think that BCCI could do better under retired judges, I wish them luck" (BBC, 1/2). In London, Kiran Stacey reported "the scandal emerged when three players, including international bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, were arrested on suspicion of colluding with bookmakers to underperform in the lucrative Indian Premier League." The three players were all "cleared of match-fixing but the crisis claimed the job of Narayanaswami Srinivasan," the former chair of the BCCI, who was criticized by an investigation for "failing to take action quickly enough" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 1/2). The PTI reported "rattled after the Supreme Court removed both the BCCI president and secretary," BCCI SVP Gokaraju Ganga Raju on Monday "made it clear that his association Andhra Cricket Association will implement Lodha Reforms with immediate effect." Raju said, "There is no confusion as Supreme Court has passed its verdict. As the president of Andhra Cricket Association we would implement Lodha Reforms in totality with immediate effect. If it means that we have to go into cooling off period, so be it. Indian cricket should move forward." There is speculation that "he might be in line for interim president's post" but he "does not want to get into it" (PTI, 1/2). IANS reported Lodha said that "it was a victory for the sports in India especially for cricket." Lodha: "I wish and hope it acts as a temple for other sports organizations as well" (IANS, 1/2). In a separate piece, the PTI reported Shirke said that he is "absolutely fine" with the Supreme Court order asking him to leave office "but hoped that the Board does not lose its international standing owing to the administrative upheaval." Shirke added, "I have no reaction to that (to his sacking). If that is the Supreme Court order, I cease to be secretary. It cannot get any simpler than that. My role in BCCI is over." The court also decided to "initiate contempt proceedings" against Thakur by seeking his response as to why he should not be held liable for "obstructing the implementation of the court's directions aimed at reforming the BCCI" (PTI, 1/2).
