India's top court removes BCCI President Anurag Thakur

42-year-old is sacked for not complying with court orders and failing to implement Lodha committee reforms


Afp January 02, 2017
Anurag Thakur. PHOTO: AFP

NEW DELHI: India's Supreme Court ordered the dismissal on Monday of the president of the country's powerful cricket board over the failure to enact recommended reforms.

In a shock ruling, a panel of judges said that Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Anurag Thakur and the organisation's number two Ajay Shirke had to stand down immediately.



"The Supreme Court passes an order directing the BCCI president and secretary to desist from any board functions from hereon," said the ruling.

India’s top court orders BCCI to implement Lodha Committee’s recommendations

The order comes after judges also slapped restrictions on the BCCI's accounts last year over its failure to implement a series of reforms recommended by a panel headed by a former top judge, Rajendra Mal Lodha.

Responding to the latest judgement, Lodha said that it was an inevitable consequence of the board's foot-dragging.

"One should understand that when the order of the Supreme Court, which is the highest court of the land, has come, it has to be obeyed by all. It is the law of the land. Nobody can escape it," Lodha told reporters.

Lodha panel rejects BCCI's claim of frozen account

"There were obstructions. There were impediments. We fixed the timeline that was not adhered to. We submitted three reports before the Supreme Court, even then it was not implemented."

Cricket's massive popularity in India has helped the BCCI become by far the wealthiest of all of cricket's national boards, netting massive money from sponsorship and TV deals.

COMMENTS (2)

BCCI = pure evil | 7 years ago | Reply Make Lodha commission's report public and force them to cleanse the game of cricket from rampant fixing in India.
Ban BCCI | 7 years ago | Reply BCCI is responsible for so many of the ills facing Pakistani cricket today - lack of involvement in IPL, foreign teams unwilling to play in Pakistan, India not keeping its end of the bargain regarding bilateral series, more voting powers for India, Indian players not bound by World Anti Doping policies like everyone else and refusing to accept neutral technology like the DRS until recently. I really hope the other nations wise up to the corrupt practices of the BCCI and ban India from competitive cricket for a few years, if not more.
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