Published: Jan 20, 2019, 08:41 AM (IST)
Edited: Jan 20, 2019, 08:41 AM (IST)
CK Khanna, the acting president of the BCCI has urged the Supreme Court-appointed CoA to lift the suspensions on KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya. Pandya and Rahul were suspended by the BCCI for unsuitable comments made by a talk show, following which the Supreme Court opted to appoint at ombudsman.
As per a report in the Times of India, Khanna has requested the CoA to let Pandya and Rahul be available for the New Zealand ODIs and T20s and suggested that the inquiry be carried out simultaneously. The two were part of the squad before being slapped with bans. And while as of now, the suspensions are effective till the tour of New Zealand, there is a serious possibility that it can be extended.
“I suggest that pending inquiry, we reinstate both the cricketers in the Indian squad immediately and allow them to join the team in New Zealand at the earliest,” Khanna wrote in a mail to the Supreme Court-appointed committee of administrators (CoA) and the BCCI office-bearers.
BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary, apparently sides with Khanna on the matter. The acting president also requested a meeting between CoA and authorities of the BCCI. “They made a mistake, and they have already been suspended and called back from the series against Australia. They have also submitted an unconditional apology. We must not keep their careers in a limbo,” the letter stated.
Khanna also opposed the idea of a special general meeting requested by several state associations. Last week, BCCI chairman Vinod Rai had stated that the board should correct the players but not end their careers, but 10 BCCI units had demanded a meeting to discuss appointing an ombudsman for carrying out an inquiry.
“As per the constitution of the BCCI, an ombudsman can be appointed at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). But the matter (appointment of ombudsman) is already sub-judice,” stated Khanna’s reply to BCCI treasurer Anirudh Choudhry.
