BCCI official KVP Rao rejects lucrative promotion as protest to alleged discrimination

The Indian cricket board is known to be the richest in the world and anybody would consider himself/herself financially fortunate if found associated with the body in some capacity. However, there is also an exception to the rule. The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Assistant General Manager KVP Rao recently turned down a lucrative promotion offer and also launched a scathing attack on those located higher up in the hierarchy in the administration.

Rao, a former first-class cricketer who played 54 matches in the 1980s and 90s, was one of the 15 officials who were promoted in the BCCI hierarchy last week. He was made the deputy general manager, cricket operations – a position that had not existed earlier in the board. But Rao refused to accept the offer and asked BCCI CEO Rahul Johri to take it back as he wanted to serve in his current position. It means Rao would take a financial hit of more than Rs 50 lakh.

According to a report in India Today, Rao alleged that his hard work and expertise were often overlooked and a less-experienced Hemang Amin was promoted from the position of assistant manager to that of IPL chief operating officer two years ago.

“When there was a vacancy of COO, IPL, down the line promotion was considered and Hemang Amin was promoted from AGM to COO, IPL, considering his experience of being involved with IPL from 2011. Here, I would like to mention that I had joined BCCI in November 2010, and have had the experience of working with steel giant, Tata Steel, for more than 20 years before joining BCCI,” Rao wrote to Johri.

“I was very hopeful that when the position of GM Cricket Operations fell vacant as a result of resignation of Dr. Sridhar (just before the start of the season and the domestic season was successfully handled without any new hands as the GM joined only in Jan 2018), that my experience of handling domestic season would work in my favour for elevation as GM Cricket Operations like in the case of COO, IPL,” he further wrote.

Rao takes dig at Saba Karim

Rao, who played for Bihar in domestic cricket and was the highest wicket-taker in the 1994-95 Ranji Trophy season with 36 scalps, also took a dig at Saba Karim, the current general manager, cricket operations, who also hails from Bihar. He said he might lack certain qualities that Karim possesses and hence the latter convinced the board not to promote him as the general manager or COO, NCA, when the vacancy emerged.

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