Pandya & Rahul Suspensions Lifted, All-rounder to Join Squad in New Zealand

New Delhi: Indian cricketers Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul can breathe a sigh of relief with the Committee of Administrators (CoA) deciding to lift the interim suspensions imposed on the duo with immediate effect. The two cricketers had been suspended for their inappropriate comments made on the TV show ‘Koffee with Karan’.

CricketNext has learnt that Pandya will be joining the Indian team ahead of the third ODI in New Zealand on January 28 at Mount Maunganui while Rahul is likely to be added to the India ‘A’ Squad that is currently playing a series of one-day matches against England Lions in Thiruvanathapuram.

Since the suspension, under Rule 46 of new BCCI constitution, was imposed on January 11, Pandya and Rahul have already missed four ODIs — three against Australia and one against New Zealand in the ongoing series. With the next Supreme Court hearing in the matter to appoint an Ombudsman who could decide on the matter according to new BCCI constitution delayed till tentatively February 5, the CoA decided that the provisional suspension should be lifted in consultation with the new amicus curiae PS Narsimha.

“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,” a release issued by the CoA on Thursday (January 24) read.

“The above matter and decision has been taken with the concurrence of the Learned Amicus Curiae, PS Narasimha. 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 release added.

The division within the two-member CoA — chairman Vinod Rai and former India women’s captain Diana Edulji — had dragged the matter to Supreme Court. Edulji, who came to the January 17 hearing with her own lawyer, wanted SC to appoint an Ombudsman instead of Rai’s decision of appoint an ad-hoc Ombudsman as suggested by BCCI’s legal cell. In fact, Rai was initially in favour of just a two-match ban for Pandya and Rahul, which was shot down by Edulji, who took the matter to BCCI officials.

In the meantime, BCCI president CK Khanna received communication from 14 state associations to call an emergent Special General Meeting (SGM) to appoint an Ombudsman even as SC postponed the hearing in the matter till a new amicus curiae was appointed.

The BCCI president, though, refused to summon an SGM. “As per constitution of the BCCI, an ombudsman can be appointed at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). And moreover the matter (appointment of ombudsman) is already sub-judice,” Khanna wrote in a mail to BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry last week.

"I did not wish this issue to turn into an administrative mess. For me, it was paramount that Hardik and Rahul return to action and inquiry can also simultaneously continue. If Ben Stokes could continue playing while the court case was on, why can't that be applicable for Pandya and Rahul," Khanna told PTI on Thursday.

Pandya’s return to the mix with the World Cup on the horizon will come as big relief to the team. In fact, skipper Virat Kohli had elaborated on the reason why Pandya was so crucial ahead of the first ODI at Napier.

“If someone like a Vijay Shankar or a Hardik doesn’t play, then three fast bowlers makes sense. Because if an all-rounder can chip in with a few overs of seam up, then you don’t necessarily need a guy bowling 140kmph as the third bowler along with the two fast bowlers,” Kohli said.

"So, whether it's me backing three bowlers or during Asia Cup, every time it happened when Hardik wasn't available. We have had to play three fast bowlers. So, every time, the all-rounder is there, you are not thinking about a third fast bowler unless you are playing in conditions which are totally against spin bowling," the skipper added.

The decision though comes too late for Rahul to turn out for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy semifinals against Saurashtra, which got underway in Bangalore on Thursday.

Meanwhile, in his first reaction on hearing that the suspension has been lifted, filmmaker Karan Johar, on whose show the comments were made, said he was ‘happy and relieved’ at the decision.

“They deserved another chance and I am glad the board has given them this chance,” Johar told CNN-News 18 in Davos. “That was an unfortunate thing that happened on the show, I was responsible and if people were offended I am ready to apologise. The mistake is entirely mine and I am apologetic for what happened.”