With Sports Bill On Cards, Will BCCI Wait And Allow Roger Binny To Continue Beyond 70?

With Sports Bill On Cards, Will BCCI Wait And Allow Roger Binny To Continue Beyond 70?

The incumbent BCCI president Roger Binny turned 70 on Saturday but there is no immediate clarity on whether he would be continuing till the AGM in September or demit office with immediate effect with vice-president Rajeev Shukla taking charge as the interim head. To add another twist to the tale, a Draft National Sports Bill is in the pipeline, which will be tabled by Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya during the upcoming monsoon session of the parliament and it carries a provision of increasing the upper limit of an age cap to 75 from the existing 70 for an administrator.

Even though the BCCI constitution which was drafted by Justice Lodha Committee has kept the age cap of 70 for cricket's parent body but once the Sports Bill comes into effect, the BCCI as a National Sports Federation (NSF) is expected to come under its ambit.

While BCCI doesn't depend on government grants but with Indian cricket teams all set to be a part of the Los Angeles Olympics 2028, it is expected that the country's richest sporting body will adhere to the new Sports Bill.

When PTI approached sources close to Binny, it was learnt that the septuagenarian is expected to get in touch with BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and the legal department on the way ahead for him.

So what does the Draft Sports Bill state about the Age Cap? As per Draft Bill which is in possession with PTI, on page No. 8 in Chapter II under National Sports Bodies sub clause (2) (e), the age-cap tenure rule is specified.

"A person shall not be qualified to contest election or seek, nomination to, the executive committee, unless that person complies with International Charters and Statutes and Bye-Laws relating to age and term of the executive committee: "Provided that person shall not be more than 70 years of age on the last date of the nomination for election: "Provided further that any person aged between 70 and 75 years may contest elections or seek nominations if permitted by the international charters and statutes and the bye-laws and in such case, person elected shall serve full term." If one interprets the age-clause, then in theory, if someone aged 69 years and 364 days on the date of nomination, if elected for any office bearer's post can continue his full term beyond the age of 70 once the bill comes into effect.

While Binny, on Saturday, completed 70 years, which is BCCI age-cap for any office bearer, the new Sports Bill, if it comes into effect by August can ensure that the 1983 World Cup hero back at the helm, and he can have at least another three year term if not five, obviously with a rider.

Provided that the powerful people, who run the show at the BCCI decide that Binny can be continued for another three if not five years as per new bill, if the international body (ICC in this case) doesn't have any age-cap provision, then one can continue till 75 years.

Till date, ICC charter doesn't have any age-cap rule in other sports bodies such as FIFA and IOC.

So where does it leave Shukla? Till the Bill comes into effect, the Congress Rajya Sabha MP can continue to be the interim leader even if it is not explicitly put in letter and spirit.

However in the BCCI itself, there are informal deliberations and discussions about whether to elevate Shukla for two months or quietly wait for the Sports Bill to come into effect.

There is a school of thought in the BCCI circles that president's post should preferably be carried by some former India cricketer of repute just like Sourav Ganguly or Binny.