Court refuses to extend MCA period

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Wednesday refused to extend the term of the committee of administrators overseeing the functioning of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). The cricket body should approach the Supreme Court for all such matters, it said.

In April 2018, the HC had appointed former Supreme Court (SC) Judge H.L. Gokhale and former Bombay HC Judge V.M. Kanade as administrators of the cricket body. The court had extended the two-member committee’s term in June. Later, the SC again extended its term till September 15. The MCA would have to conduct an election to select its new managing committee by September 15, the apex court had said. The prestigious cricket body moved the HC this month, seeking another extension for the administrators.

A division bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and M.S. Karnik on Wedne-sday said it cannot intervene as the apex court had made it clear that it would hear all matters pertaining to cricket bodies and the appointment of committees of administrators. “Even the administrators have expressed unwillingness to continue,” the HC noted, saying the MCA may approach the SC.

The HC had appointed the administrators in response to a petition by Nadeem Memon, a member of a sports club affiliated to the MCA. The petition sought that MCA’s managing committee be dissolved for non-implementation of Justice R.M. Lodha committee’s report on cricket reforms.