BCCI vs Lodha panel: 'My role is over', says board secretary Ajay Shirke

New Delhi: Sacked BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke today said he is “absolutely fine” with the Supreme Court order asking him to leave office but hoped that the Board does not lose its international standing owing to the administrative upheaval here. “I have no reaction to that (to his sacking). If that is the Supreme Court order, I cease to be secretary. It cannot get any simpler than that. My role in BCCI is over,” said Shirke shortly after Supreme Court removed him and president Anurag Thakur as the office-bearers of the BCCI. [caption id=“attachment_3183702” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo of Ajay Shirke. AFP[/caption] The two faced the wrath of the Supreme Court after BCCI failed to implement the Lodha panel reforms under their leadership. When asked whether the situation could have been avoided had the Board implemented the sweeping reforms earlier, Shirke said there was no question of handling the issue differently. “At the end of the day, the BCCI comprises of members. It is not about me or the president. It is about the members. “I have no reason to go into history. History can be judged by people differently. I have no personal attachment to the post. In the past also I have resigned and I have lots of other things to do. I came back to the Board as there was a vacancy and I was elected unopposed. Now it has come to this (the Supreme Court). I am completely fine with it and I have no regrets,” said Shirke from the UK. The apex court had also decided to initiate contempt proceedings against Thakur by seeking his response as to why he should not be held liable for obstructing the implementation of the court’s directions aimed at reforming the BCCI. A bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur said the working of BCCI will be looked after by a committee of administrators and requested senior advocate Fali S Nariman and senior advocate Gopal Subramanian, who was assisting in the matter as amicus curiae, to assist the court in nominating persons of impeccable integrity for the panel. Shrike hoped the Board does not lose its powerful position on the global stage. “I hope the new dispensation continues the good work done by the BCCI. Hope the Board doesn’t lose more face globally. I also hope the Indian team is able to maintain its supremacy in all three formats of the game,” Shirke added. Justice RM Lodha, who headed the three-member panel formed by Supreme Court to make structural reforms in the BCCI, said it was only a matter of time for the reforms to be implemented. “This is logical consequence because once the reforms were accepted by the Supremer Court, they had to be implemented. There were obstructions and obviously this had to happen and it has happened,” said Lodha. “One should understand that once the order of the Supreme Court has come, it has to be obeyed. It is law of the land. It is victory for cricket. The game will flourish. Administrators come and go but the game goes on,” Lodha added. The Supreme Court bench, also comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, said that Nariman and Subramanian will complete the task in two weeks and the matter for passing the direction for nominating the persons in committee of administrators will be taken up on 19 January. Meanwhile, the cricketing fraternity led by former India spinner Bishan Bedi hailed the apex court’s verdict. “This is a landmark judgement. It is good for Indian cricket and it will be back on track. There is light now and we are thankful to the Supreme Court. I don’t have to get into debate. This is full and final. This is going to be great news for Indian sports and cricket in particular. If you are watching IOA, it is in shambles. That will be clarified too,” said Bedi.