Supreme Court Critiques Management of Cricket Associations by Non-Experts

Supreme Court's Concerns Over Cricket Association Leadership

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court voiced its dissatisfaction regarding the governance of sports organizations by individuals lacking expertise. The court emphasized that cricket associations should ideally be managed by former players rather than those unfamiliar with the sport, stating that some individuals do not even know how to hold a bat.

A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, chose not to alter the Bombay High Court's decision that had put a hold on the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) elections, which were set for January 6. This decision was made in light of claims of favoritism and nepotism.

The bench was reviewing multiple petitions, including one from the MCA challenging the high court's ruling.

During the hearing, the Chief Justice raised concerns about the unexpected increase in MCA's membership.

The bench pointed out that the association had maintained 164 members from 1986 to 2023, yet experienced a sudden influx of new members thereafter.

The Chief Justice questioned, "From 1986 to 2023, you had 164 members, and from 2023 onwards, you made a bumper draw?"

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing the petitioners, including MCA and NCP-SP MLA Rohit Pawar, argued that a committee led by a retired judge had supervised the membership process, rejecting 48 members while accepting others.

He also claimed that the Charity Commissioner appointed an administrator without proper consultation with the cabinet.

The Chief Justice stressed that if the association aimed to increase its membership to 300, those positions should be filled by distinguished retired international players.

He remarked, "This is one country where outstanding cricketers are there; those who have retired were the best in line."

The Chief Justice further expressed concern over the quality of new members, stating, "Who are you bringing? Those who do not even know the game… do not even know how to handle a bat. Don’t make us express our sentiments too much on what is happening."

He reiterated that sports associations owe their existence to athletes, not administrators, saying, "Cricket is not because of (the authorities), it is because of the cricketers. The hockey association is known because of the hockey players. At least this much respect should be given to them."

The legal dispute originated when former Indian cricketer and BJP member Kedar Jadhav approached the Bombay High Court, alleging that the voter list was being manipulated by the sudden addition of approximately 401 members.

Jadhav's petition claimed that many of the newly added members were relatives or business associates of MLA Rohit Pawar.

The bench permitted the petitioners to withdraw their pleas and instructed them to present all arguments before the Bombay High Court, which is set to hear the case on Wednesday.

The bench concluded by requesting the high court to address the matter promptly.