N Srinivasan in contention to become next Chairman of Cricket’s Governing Council after Supreme Court’s judgement

The Supreme court on Wednesday accepted the plea by the Indian Cricket Board to make amendments to its constitution. This would allow the Indian Cricket Board President Sourav Ganguly and Secretary Jay Shah to extend their respective terms without having to serve the mandatory cooling-off period. The board had put in a plea for modification of its constitution on mandatory cooling off period and tenure of its office bearers.

The Supreme court bench passed the judgement that an office bearer can have a continuous tenure of 12 years which includes six years in the State Association and six years in the Indian Cricket Board before the cooling-off period of three years triggers. After the judgment, there have been widespread discussions about whether Ganguly and Shah will continue to serve in their current positions or whether there will be a change in the Indian Cricket Board’s hierarchy?

Both Ganguly and Shah refused to comment on the SC verdict. There are several questions doing rounds regarding the Indian Cricket Board’s administration. One of the hottest discussions doing rounds is whether Jay Shah will be promoted to the position of the Board’s President and whether Ganguly will hold the position of Chairman in the Cricket Governing Council?

Another possible contender for the Chairman position is former Indian Cricket Board President N. Srinivasan. Srinivasan has come under the limelight following the Supreme Court’s decision to allow modifications relating to the age cap of 70 years for representation in the Cricket Governing Council

Srinivasan previously served as the Chairman of the Cricket Governing Council on 26^th June 2014. But he was removed from his position in November 2015 after the Indian Cricket Board decided to replace him with Shashank Manohar. Srinivasan’s reign at the helm of the Indian Cricket Board was marred by the spot-fixing scandal in 2013 in which his son-in-law was found guilty of betting on the Indian T20 League. The change in the law which has lifted the age cap has once again cleared the road for Srinivasan to return to the apex cricket body.

The Cricket Governing Council will have a new chairman in November, provided the current incumbent, New Zealander Gregor Barclay refuses the extension which he is entitled to. Sourav Ganguly was the top contender from India for the top job at the Council. But now Srinivasan and Sharad Pawar have also come into the race.

“Why do you forget that Brijesh Patel within the next couple of months will end his Indian T20 league’s chairmanship tenure as he is turning 70? Brijesh is a very able administrator. Also, while SC has allowed 70-plus people to represent India at Cricket Governing Council Meetings but where is it written that it has to be above 70? What if Indian Cricket Board decides on Ganguly? Let’s wait and watch,” a source from the Indian Cricket Board was quoted as saying by NDTV.