Ex-chief Pawar slams BCCI for suspending RCA

London: Former Board and ICC president Sharad Pawar has slammed the BCCI`s decision to suspend the Rajasthan Cricket Association after banned IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi was declared as the chief of RCA in Jaipur today.

"I was shocked to hear about the decision. I think it is a very harsh decision by the BCCI," the former BCCI president and senior politician told PTI here today. Just hours after Modi was declared the president of the RCA, the BCCI "indefinitely" suspended the state association and appointed an ad-hoc body to run its cricket affairs. "For the sake of one individual to suspend a whole organisation is really shocking. I hope (BCCI`s interim president) Shivlal Yadav will show some spirit in the organisation and respect the views of the judiciary," added Pawar, who is on a visit to London this week. The RCA elections were conducted in December last year but the results were sealed following a Supreme Court directive. After much deliberation, the result was finally announced by a court-appointed observer today. As expected Modi won by a landslide margin, polling in 24 out of 33 votes, while his opponent Rampal Sharma earned just five. The banned administrator, who has been living in London for the past four years, was allowed to contest the RCA elections held on December 19 last year under the supervision of a Supreme Court-appointed observer. Modi, on his part, criticised the BCCI for initiating such a hasty step. "I am happy to take over the organisation. The BCCI`s action has been in haste without any cause or notice. It should have engaged with the RCA," said Modi, as he vowed to carry on fighting. "What the BCCI has done is completely wrong and we will not sit quiet. We will fight it all the way to the end. I will not let cricket be the sufferer in this kind of matter," he added.