Sourav Ganguly, Jay Shah to retain posts in BCCI after Supreme Court allows amendments

Sourav Ganguly, Jay Shah the Supreme Court has allowed the amendments in BCCI’s cooling off period, meaning that president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah can retain their respective positions in the board. Both, Ganguly and Shah’s respective first terms at the board had come to an end earlier in September due to the mandatory ‘cooling off period’; it can now be changed, however.

As per the constitution adopted by the BCCI, an office bearer had to undergo a three-year cooling-off period between two consecutive terms in either the state association or the BCCI or both combined. Before his appointment to the BCCI, Ganguly had served as president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) in 2014, while Jay Shah was an office bearer in Gujarat Cricket Association since 2013.

Their tenure was technically under “extension” since the Supreme Court had not heard the plea for amendment of the rules or given any orders regarding their removal from office.

Earlier, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for BCCI, told a bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli, that the game of cricket is substantially streamlined in the country.

He submitted that the apex court has said that when the bye-laws will go into functional preparedness, some changes could be made with the leave of the court.

He said that the BCCI is an autonomous body and all the changes have been considered by the AGM of the cricket body.

While the submission was being made, the bench said “BCCI is an autonomous body. We cannot micro-manage its functioning.”