Roger Binny, the incumbent president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), turned 70 on July 19, triggering uncertainty over his continuation in the role due to the age limit specified in the BCCI constitution. As per the Supreme Court-approved constitution, any office-bearer who turns 70 is disqualified from holding the post.
This development has brought BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla into focus as the likely interim successor. However, with the Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for September, sources close to Binny suggest he may continue in a caretaker capacity until then without signing any official documents.
Adding a layer of complexity is the proposed National Sports Bill, expected to be introduced in Parliament during the ongoing Monsoon Session. The BCCI does not function on government grant but as it is a part of the National Sports Federation (NSF), it is expected to come under the Bill’s provisions.
The bill, set to be tabled by Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, carries a provision to raise the upper age limit for office-bearers of national sports federations from 70 to 75.
According to the draft bill, individuals between the ages of 70 and 75 may contest elections or seek nominations, provided international charters and the concerned body’s bye-laws do not prevent them. If passed, this legislation could allow Binny to remain in office, assuming there is no conflicting age cap in the statutes of the International Cricket Council (ICC), which currently has no such provision.
Binny will discuss the matter with current secretary Devajit Saikia and the legal department about his future. According to the proposed National Sports Bill, if someone aged 69 years and 364 days on the date of nomination, if elected for any office bearer’s post, can continue their full term beyond the age of 70 once the bill comes into effect. While Binny, on Saturday, completed 70 years, he can have at least another three-year term if not five, obviously with a rider.
