Ball in court as Bangladesh Test close to play time

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court is likely to suggest a way out on Friday with regard to ambiguity on conducting of the Test matches between India and Bangladesh scheduled from February 9 in Hyderabad in view of ongoing row in the Hyderabad Cricket Association.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Shameem Akhter on Thursday commenced hearing on a PIL by M. Govinda Reddy, an advocate of the city, seeking to direct the HCA to implement the recommendation of Justice Lodha Committee and also to appoint an administrator to take care of the affairs of the HCA in view of the Test match.

Counsel appearing for the petitioner maintained that the HCA functioning is amenable for judicial review. The counsel reminded that Supreme Court has held that cricket and cricketing associations like the BCCI and state cricket associations perform activity akin to public duty and violation of any Constitutional ethos or statutory obligations on their part amounts to violation of the rights of the citizens.

Bringing to the notice of the court that the BCCI had appointed Deloitte for investigative audit into the allegations of large-scale misappropriation of funds of the HCA by its office bearers, the counsel said that Deloitte found several incriminating material against the former office-bearers of the HCA.  He said that some of the former office-bearers were already facing ACB cases.

He submitted that as per Lodha Committee, a new elected body was to be in place by September 2016, but there was no elected body for the HCA as on date. The previous president of the HCA demitted office in view of the allegations and the Lodha Committee’s recommendations made it clear that a person facing criminal charges shall not be hold the posts of office bearers of Cricket Associations.

Maintaining that the petitioner wanted clean administration and clean cricket, counsel said that if the HCA failed to implement the panel’s recommendations, BCCI would stop funding to it. Counsels for the respondents objected to the maintainability of the PIL and alleged that the petitioner was at present a Telangana State government pleader and as such he had no right to move the PIL. The bench will continue its hearing on Friday.