NEW DELHI: Ahead of Monday’s IPL players’auction in Bengaluru, the Committee of Administrators currently running the affairs of the Board of Control of Cricket in India banned CK Khanna, Amitabh Choudhary and Anirudh Chaudhry, among others, from attending.
In a press release issued Sunday, the CoA made it clear that these three, as well as any other individuals who claim to be ‘ex-officio members of the IPL GC on account of being office bearers of the BCCI, shall not be entitled to attend the IPL Player Auctions since the issue regarding validity of the undertakings filed by such persons pursuant to the order dated 2nd January 2017 is still pending before the Hon’ble Supreme Court’.
Khanna, the erstwhile vice-president of the BCCI, Choudhary, the former joint-secretary, and Chaudhry, the former treasurer, were barred from attending the auction as governing council representatives.
The CoA also said with regard to the other members of the IPL governing council, only those ‘who are not disqualified in terms of the strict understanding/ interpretation of the disqualifications in terms of the various orders issued by the Hon’ble Supreme Court may attend the IPL Player Auctions’. The disqualifications stem from age and tenure related issues in the main.
However, the CoA put the onus on the individuals to determine if they were eligible to be present at the auction as a member of the governing council, pointing out that it was not in a position to determine who was still eligible and who stood disqualified.
“The Committee of Administrators does not have complete data to determine whether each of the members of the IPL GC other than the ex-officio members are disqualified or not,” it said. “In view thereof, the said other members are requested to assess for themselves as to whether they are disqualified or not. Should they attend the IPL Player Auctions, the concerned members would be deemed to have undertaken and represented that they are not disqualified as aforesaid.”
Currently, the official website of the IPL lists Rajeev Shulka (chairman), Jyotiraditya M Scindia, MP Pandove and Sourav Ganguly under the ‘Governing Council’ category.
“In the event less than two of the members are available to attend the IPL Player Auctions on 20th February 2017, any role that may ordinarily have been performed by the IPL GC in relation to the IPL Player Auctions will be performed by such persons as the Committee of Administrators may separately designate for the purpose, if required,” the CoA added, mindful that there might arise a situation where even members may not be eligible to be representatives of the governing council presently.
