BCCI President Urge Pandya and Rahul Play While Inquiry is on

Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul have been suspended pending an inquiry for their sexist comments on Koffee with Karan show.
BCCI President Urge Pandya and Rahul Play While Inquiry is on

BCCI acting President C K Khanna on Saturday urged the Committee of Administrators (CoA) to lift the suspension on Hardik Pandya and K L Rahul for their much-criticized sexist remarks and refused to convene a Special General Meeting on the matter.

Khanna said calling the SGM to appoint an ombudsman to investigate the two players' conduct, as demanded by Board officials, wouldn't be right as the Supreme Court is due to take up the issue next week.

Pandya and Rahul have been suspended pending an inquiry for their sexist comments on Koffee with Karan.

"They made a mistake, and they have already been suspended and called back from the series against Australia. They have also submitted an unconditional apology," Khanna writes in a letter to the Committee of Administrators (CoA) running the BCCI.

"I suggest that pending inquiry we reinstate both the cricketers into the Indian squad immediately and allow them to join the team in New Zealand at the earliest," he added.

The CoA wants the Supreme Court to appoint an ombudsman to decide the fate of the two players, who have already missed the ODI series against Australia and are set to sit out of the tour of New Zealand as well.

The acting president urged the CoA and BCCI office-bearers to resolve the matter as soon as possible.

"What Mr. Hardik Pandya said and Mr. K.L. Rahul acted as a bystander to be inappropriate and absolutely wrong, but in my personal opinion, to treat them like lawbreakers is wrong too," he wrote.

"Both these cricketers need game time before the World Cup which starts in four months time. We should give these growing cricketers chance to correct themselves morally," he signed off.

They have also been thoroughly lambasted for their comments on hooking up with multiple women and joking about it on the show.

Around 14 state units, mainly former BCCI president N Srinivasan's loyalists, had requested Khanna to convene an emergent SGM, which needs to be called in 10 days.

BCCI Treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry also wrote to Khanna requesting for an early SGM, so that board members can take a call on the appointment of the ombudsman.

However, the official agreed that CoA chief Vinod Rai should have vetoed co-member Diana Edulji's demand for provisional suspension and taken a call on the quantum of suspension for the two suspended cricketers.

"As per protocol, Mr. Rai sought Diana's suggestion but he could easily overrule her view of getting a legal opinion, which started this mess.  Rai could have easily done what he did in the women's coach selection case." 

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