BCCI row: Choudhary slams Rai
It would be useful to know that all other Testplaying nations have already started playing D/N Tests except India and Bangladesh.
A CHOUDHARY, in his letter to CoA chief
MUMBAI: The combustible situation in Board of Control for Cricket in India’s power struggle worsened on Tuesday with acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary taking on Committee of Administrators chief Vinod Rai in a twopage letter.
Choudhary questioned the unilateral appointment of the BCCI GM-Marketing by the CoA and countered criticism of BCCI plans for the first day/night Test.
CoA’s relationship with BCCI office-bearers has worsened of late and the letter, a copy of which is with Hindustan Times, highlights the breakdown in ties.
“Initially, I had considered but desisted from responding to your comments on the day-night Test issue respecting your position. However, the instant matter where an appointment contract is sent for my authentication even though I have once again not been any part of the decision-making process on the appointment and the same having been done without even the concurrence of the office-bearers if not the general body surprises me, more so when the said appointment is proposed on a post which was not only hitherto non-existent but is also not one of the positions recommended by Justice Lodha Committee. Like all appointments, this too places a financial liability on the BCCI. Moreover, the person who has been selected by only two people, neither of whom represents the 37 member units of the BCCI, did not even figure in the initial list of candidates,” Choudhary said in his letter to Rai.
“In view of facts as they stand, I would humbly submit the only way forward on appointment of GM, Marketing would be to allow the General Body to consider it before the final decision taken by you is implemented.”
Choudhary also criticised the appointment of the National Cricket Academy head. “I had raised my objection saying none of the shortlisted candidates had any background of cricket to which no response was made. I let it pass in deference to the decision of the CoA, and as NCA after having acquired a 40-acre campus needed urgent attention.”
He said: “It would be useful to know that all other Test-playing nations have already started playing D/N Tests except India and Bangladesh.”
The Rai-Choudhary fallout is critical as the latter was seen as helping CoA implement the Lodha reforms. But the CoA seeking the removal of the three principal BCCI office-bearers and Rai’s scathing letter against the the D/N Test seems to have led to Choudhary’s response.
Rai had raised the issue of players’ body clock and Choudhary retorted: “With the cumulative ODI/T20I/IPL figures of only five top players such as MS Dhoni -- 566 (318/89/159), Virat Kohli – 414 (208/57/149), Rohit Sharma – 413 (180/74/159), Shikhar Dhawan – 260 (102/31/127) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar -- 202 (86/26/90) mounting to a mammoth 1855 matches, an overwhelming majority of which were night matches, the issue of body clocks of players is adequately addressed,” he said. Sources say the CoA status report to the Apex court seeks removal of the top officials as all three have completed three years.