New BCCI panel sacks several Thakur, Shirke appointees

The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (COA) today sacked some employees of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The committee, which took over the running of the cricket board on 30 January, has sacked several employees attached to the offices of former BCCI president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke.

Appointments and tenure of other BCCI officials will be overseen by BCCI chief executive officer Rahul Johri.

The decision to sack the staff attached to the former president and secretary's offices was taken in the COA meeting held in New Delhi on 1 February.

As per the minutes of the meeting, copies of which were seen by sections of the media, the COA has decided set up a caretaker for the BCCI office in Delhi.

The meeting has also decided that there would be no further appointment of staff without the approval of the COA.

As regards the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament, Johri has been allowed to hire staff on a contract basis for a maximum of four months.

The COA will also issue directions regarding BCCI tenders on a case-to-case basis, the immediate one being the Team India sponsorship rights.

The four-member COA comprises former Comptroller and Auditor General of India Vinod Rai, IDFC managing director Vikram Limaye, former Indian women's cricket team captain Diana Edulji and historian Ramachandra Guha.

Rai is the head of the committee.

The 1 February meeting was also attended by Santosh Rangnekar, the BCCI chief financial officer, and Hemang Amin, the IPL in-charge in the board.

It may be recalled that Thakur and Shirke were removed from their posts by the Supreme Court on 2 January.

The top court had also removed most of the former BCCI office-bearers since they did not meet the qualifying standards set by the Justice Lodha Committee, set up to tackle corruption and malpractices from the BCCI.