Batsman Rahul and all-rounder Pandya were sent home from India's tour of Australia two weeks ago and subsequently banned after making remarks that were widely condemned as sexist and inappropriate in a TV show interview. A Committee of Administrators (CoA) that is running Indian cricket lifted the ban on the players pending the appointment of the board's ombudsman, making the duo available for selection to the national team in the interim. "The suspension orders dated 11.01.2019 is immediately lifted pending appointment and adjudication of the allegations by the BCCI Ombudsman," the CoA said in a statement. Local media reported that Pandya was likely to join up with India's squad for the ongoing limited-overs series in New Zealand. The BCCI, however, has been without an ombudsman since 2016, and the CoA last week approached India's Supreme Court asking it to appoint one to investigate the case.

Source: bd News24 January 24, 2019 14:03 UTC