The BCCI, in its proposed amendment, seeks abolition of the cooling-off period for office-bearers which would enable Ganguly and Shah to serve as president and secretary despite completing six years in their respective state cricket associations.

The Board of Control for Cricket’s proposed amendments The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday accepted cricket’s proposed changes to the Constitution of India, assisting current president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jai Shah as extension agents in their respective fields.

The board requested amendments to its constitution regarding the mandatory cooling-off period and the tenure of its office-bearers. The court order said that the office bearers can have a continuous term of 12 years.

This tenure includes six years at the State Association and six years at the BCCI post. Both Ganguly and Shah are coming to the end of their three-year term.

Analyzing the 12-year tenure, a bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli said that this can be a continuous tenure that includes six years in the state association and six years in the BCCI before a three-year cooling-off period.

An office-bearer can serve two consecutive terms in the BCCI and state association post, the bench said, after which he will have to enjoy a three-year cooling-off period.

“The purpose of the cooling-off period is not to create an unwanted monopoly”, the bench said.

The BCCI had scrapped the mandatory cooling-off period between office-bearers across state cricket associations following a plea to amend the constitution regarding the tenure of board president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah, according to the apex court.

The BCCI, in the proposed amendment, has advocated the abolition of the cooling-off period for its office-bearers despite the completion of six years by Ganguly and Shah in their respective state cricket associations.