BCCI's Committee of Administrators chalk up a plan on the issue of conflict of interest

The BCCI is in the process of clearing up the air regarding the issue of conflict of interest within the squad. This issue emerged right after Historian Ramachandra Guha wrote a long letter with his resignation from the Committee of Administrators (CoA). The dos and don’ts will be issued sooner rather than later for a good governance of the BCCI.

An issue that is likely to pick up the pace before the conflict of interest would be the Rahul Dravid‘s coaching contract. It too surfaced right after Guha had issued an unnamed warning to the board regarding the privileges to a few former players. CoA will meet in Mumbai on the 12th of June, where they will provide the clarification that the former cricket Dravid was seeking in regards to his coaching position.

The former right-hander had a contract with the Indian ‘A’ team and the U-19 team for a period of 10 months following which he had permission from the BCCI to be a part of an IPL franchise for the other two months (he was with the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL). But Dravid’s BCCI contract is up for renewal, and the CaA might take a call on its nature or terms of reference.

Guha’s mentioning of Gavaskar and Dhoni

Guha had also mentioned the preferential treatment given to former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar and former skipper MS Dhoni. It also hinted the southpaw Sourav Ganguly’s position as state association president as well as a commentator.

“These are not new issues. It is a matter of figuring out the right framework in which these can be addressed. Conflicts will have to be addressed holistically. It can’t be targeted to individuals. It’s about developing a framework that applies certain principles. The objective is not to target Gavaskar or Dhoni for example. Once the principles are followed, it won’t be about individuals. These are all that the COA has discussed. The framework will have to be well thought through. The process is already ongoing,” said the BCCI functionary.

The BCCI had cleared the air that it is not just about a few individuals but a change in the system would ensure that nothing of that sort happen in the near future.

“You have to be a little patient. If any conflict arises from somebody in a national role and an IPL role for example, that can’t be decided overnight. Some thought must be given into it – what it means, how it can be managed. We have to take into account the potential conflicts that exist across different parts of the landscape. The framework will be worked out jointly by the COA and the BCCI office-bearers. The ethics officer will be the watchdog,” he concluded.