The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has lifted the ban on suspended Indian cricketers, Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul.
Pandya has been cleared to join Team India in New Zealand where the Men in Blue are currently playing a five-match ODI series against the Blackcaps. Rahul, on the other hand, will join India A squad in Trivandrum which is playing against the England Lions.
Both the cricketers have been provisionally cleared by Committee of Administrators (CoA) pending adjudication by an Ombudsman.
Earlier, the Committee of Administrators (CoA) issued a statement which read: “The Committee of Administrators (CoA) had, by emails dated 11.01.2019, and in exercise of Rule 41(6) of the Constitution of BCCI, suspended Mr. Hardik Pandya and Mr. K.L. Rahul in view of the allegations of misconduct against them, pending adjudication of the allegations under Rule 46 of the approved BCCI Constitution.”
“Since the adjudication of all allegations of misconduct against any cricketer registered with, inter alia, the BCCI is required to be undertaken by the BCCI Ombudsman, whose appointment is pending directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, the CoA is the of the view that the interim suspension orders dated 11.01.2019 should be presently lifted with immediate effect. The above matter and decision has been taken with the concurrence of the Learned Amicus Curiae, Mr P.S. Narasimha,” the statement said.
“In view of the above, the suspension orders dated 11.01.2019 is immediately lifted pending appointment and adjudication of the allegations by the BCCI Ombudsman,” the statement further said.
Last week, acting BCCI president CK Khanna had urged the CoA to lift the suspension on Pandya and Rahul. There was further talk of behavioural counselling for players at all levels. “The Indian senior team as well as the Emerging, A teams and U-19s will have behavioural counselling session at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).”
“The course will deal with every aspect of a professional sportsperson’s life. There will also be sessions on gender sensitivity,” a senior BCCI official told news agency PTI on conditions of anonymity.
