The Assam Cricket Association (ACA) is likely to be the most impacted among the state units in the eastern part of the country because of the latest Supreme Court verdict on the functioning of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and its affiliate units.
As per the Supreme Court verdict, people above 70 years of age cannot hold any post in any cricket body. Irrespective of their age, ministers and bureaucrats are also barred from holding posts in cricket administration. Besides, the apex court’s direction on the tenure of office-bearers will restrict many serving cricket officials.
It is learnt that five of the ACA officials, including the president Himanta Biswa Sharma, may find it difficult to continue their association with the Assam cricket body.
ACA president Himanta, who is a Minister of Finance, Health and Education in the state government, and his brother and ACA assistant secretary Sushanta Biswa Sharma, a serving additional superintendent in the state police, may be ineligible on the ground of being a minister and bureaucrat respectively.
ACA vice-president Rihon Daimari, another minister in the state, may have to exit on identical grounds.
Pradip Buragohain, the ACA secretary, and Manindranath Saikia, a governing council member, have been serving the association for nine years and may have to call it quits due to the tenure guideline, which prescribes a three-year term for an individual followed by a two-year cooling off period and an optimum serving period of nine years.
The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), the most influential association in the region, may see a situation where its president Sourav Ganguly will have to choose between his CAB post and his role as the chairman of the BCCI technical committee. Ganguly, a former India captain, is also a member of the Indian Premier League (IPL) governing council.
CAB treasurer Biswarup Dey may find it tough to continue as he has been serving the association as an assistant secretary (2005 to 2008), a joint secretary (2008 to 2012) and the treasurer (2012 to till date).
Even though the CAB elections are scheduled on July 31, there is a conflict of opinion among the office-bearers about the validity of polls in the present scenario. There is a possibility of the AGM being postponed.
The Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) will be affected as its president Ranjib Biswal, who has been there for three terms, and secretary Asirbad Behera, who has been in office since 2000 and is 73 years old, are likely to be ineligible to continue. The OCA will go to polls in the first week of September.
The Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) president Amitabh Choudhary, who is also a BCCI joint secretary, may have to choose between one of his roles in the state and national bodies.
The Tripura Cricket Association (TCA) president Kamal Saha, who is 73, may also be affected due to the age cap.
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