The year could not "have started on a worse note for the present bunch of Indian cricket administrators than it did on Monday," with the Supreme Court dismissing Board of Control for Cricket in India President Anurag Thakur and Secretary Ajay Shirke from their posts, according to K. Shriniwas Rao of CRICBUZZ. The court "also ordered that the senior-most of BCCI's five" VPs "take over as interim head and the joint secretary to act as the secretary" until Jan. 19. During this period, senior advocates Fali S. Nariman and Gopal Subramanium, also the amicus curaie to the Supreme Court, "will decide on the new set of administrators to govern the board." As per the court's directive, Joint Secretary Amitabh Chaudhary, who represents the Jharkhand State Cricket Association, will act as the secretary during this interim period. But none of the five VPs look eligible "under the new tenure and age-caps recommended by the Lodha panel." Explaining the impending scenario, a source in the Lodha Committee said that "it's perfectly alright if there's no president for the next couple of weeks." The new set of administrators "is likely to be from outside the BCCI" (CRICBUZZ, 1/3).
GANGULY EMERGES AS FRONTRUNNER: TNN reported Sourav Ganguly has "emerged as the front-runner to take over as BCCI president as per reports." At the moment, the senior-most VP is Delhi and District Cricket Association official C.K. Khanna, who is VP from the central zone. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar also "expressed his desire" to see Ganguly take the "top job." Gavaskar said, "BCCI has got a very good bench strength to take up the bigger roles and one name that comes to my mind is Sourav Ganguly." However, observer for DDCA Retired Justice Mukul Mudgal, in a "scathing" report submitted to Delhi High Court, had termed Khanna as a "pernicious influence" (TNN, 1/3). IANS reported Ganguly on Tuesday "calmed" talk about him taking over as the BCCI president, saying "it's too early" to draw any such conclusions. Ganguly said, "It's better not to take my name. There is no reason to take my name. It's too early." Ganguly, who is currently the Cricket Association of Bengal president, said that nobody has got any choice but to implement the Lodha Committee recommendations "in toto" (IANS, 1/3). THE HINDU's Stan Rayan reported Kerala Cricket Association President T.C. Mathew "resigned from the post" along with Association Secretary T.N. Ananthanarayanan on Monday following the Supreme Court's order. Now, Mathew "appears to be the frontrunner" for the BCCI's interim president's post until the Supreme Court appoints its committee to run the day-to-day affairs of the board. Mathew, who was elected BCCI VP for the first time early last year, said, "I don't know what they are going to decide, nobody has contacted me. Age-wise, I'm the youngest" (THE HINDU, 1/2).
NO ELECTIONS EXPECTED: In a separate piece, TNN reported "the BCCI elections are unlikely to be held anytime soon if the Lodha Committee's reforms are implemented." Sources said on Tuesday that the elections "could be held as late as September." The first step will be to appoint the administrator and the "second priority in the list is to amend the constitutions of the state units and fill up the vacated positions." This "has to be followed" by the board changing its constitution. Board sources said that "the entire process would take more than six months at least before the elections are held" (TNN, 1/3).
