Indian cricketers Hardik Pandya and K L Rahul have been suspended pending an inquiry into their comments on women on a TV show, the Committee of Administrators (CoA) chairman Vinod Rai told. The cricketers, who have been in the eye of a storm following their sexist remarks on ‘Koffee with Karan’, will be returning from Australia where they were to compete in an ODI series starting Saturday.
“Both Pandya and Rahul have been suspended pending an inquiry,” Rai told.
The decision comes after Rai’s colleague in the CoA, former India women’s captain, Diana Edulji recommended suspension till further action against the two. This after the BCCI ‘s legal team had confirmed that the CoA could suspend the players, but had to complete the inquiry process within a term of six months.
“Taking into account the relevant rules of the BCCI and considering that the inquiry process against the concerned players has commenced and is pending, it is open for the COA to suspend the concerned players (along with their privileges and benefits) pending enquiry and proceeding into the charges of misconduct until final adjudication. The suspension will however cease, if the said adjudication is not completed within six months,” the legal cell’s reply to the CoA read.
“It is imperative that players be put under suspension till further course of action is decided for this misconduct as was done in case of (BCCI) CEO (Rahul Johri) when he was sent on leave on sexual harassment matter,” read Edulji’s response to the legal opinion.
