Anurag Thakur's sacking a victory for cricket: Justice Lodha
Justice RM Lodha, who chaired the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Panel, has hailed the apex court's decision of sacking BCCI President Anurag Thakur and Secretary Ajay Shirke as a victory for cricket. "Administrators will come and go and I am sure the game will flourish," Lodha said after calling the court's decision a logical consequence.
Justice RM Lodha today hailed the landmark order delivered by the Supreme Court which axed BCCI president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke from their posts. (How BCCI lost control of cricket in India: A timeline)The two top BCCI officials were defiant and did not implement the Lodha reforms despite a clear order by the apex court. (BCCI boss Anurag Thakur sacked. Will Sourav Ganguly take over?)The Lodha panel had been appointed on January 15 in the aftermath of the IPL spot-fixing scandal in 2013. There was consequently immense pressure on the board to implement the reforms. Lodha, speaking to India Today, said he was happy and reiterated that there could have been no middle path in the implementation of the reforms after the Supreme Court had delivered an order. (Anurag Thakur's removal was a logical consequence: Justice RM Lodha)Lodha, said once the July 2016 order was passed, his committee started proceeding in earnest. He said had BCCI implemented the order, this day would not have come.  "One should understand that the order of the highest court has to be implemented. Had they implemented the order of the Supreme Court, this day would not have come," Lodha told India Today. "Unfortunately the BCCI did not implement the order. This is the first step by the Supreme Court in ensuring that its July 2016 order be implemented."Lodha also said that his report was about structural changes and it had nothing to do with individuals. "People come and they go."  "It's a victory for the game of cricket. Administrators will come and go and I am sure the game will flourish," Lodha said.Lodha said the Indian board was bound to follow the Supreme Court order as early as July. "This was logical consequence. The BCCI was bound to follow Supreme Court order in July," he said. #WATCH: Victory for cricket, administrators come & go but ultimately its for the game's benefit says Justice Lodha on Thakur/Shirke removal pic.twitter.com/mmic3v09zxMeanwhile, former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi said the Supreme Court's historic order was great news for Indian sport."We all welcome the move. Even the cricket following public should now know what kind of darkness they were in. We are grateful to the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of India Thakur for showing us the light. "There is no room for debate now. This is great news for Indian sport and cricket in particular," he told the press. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court made it clear that defiant heads of state associations who did not agree to implement the Lodha reforms would also be removed.