Conflict of interest issue stirs up BCCI meeting
MUMBAI: Among the issues at the BCCI’s working committee meeting on Sunday that came up for much debate was conflict of interest. The BCCI regime under new president Shashank Manohar has proposed amendments to the rules and regulations of board in this regard covering the players and administrators.
In July, the BCCI had sought to address the issue following harsh observations made by the Supreme Court-appointed Justice RM Lodha committee. The board had then asked representatives of every state association, and members of various committees and sub-committees of the BCCI, to sign a declaration stating they had no conflict of interest.
Ahead of the working committee meeting, the board sent out a further decree, going a step further and including relatives of administrators and players as well.
The proposed rules caused much consternation during Sunday’s meeting with members seeking more time to deliberate on the matter within their associations. Associations have now gone into overdrive to address the issue. It is understood that Sharad Pawar, president of the Mumbai Cricket Association, has called for a meeting of the association’s managing committee to discuss the issue.
The members have sought a further discussion on the matter at the board’s Annual General Meeting to be held here on November 9. “There are many aspects that need to be deliberated upon,” a state unit member told HT. “We have asked for time as there is an urgent need to understand the scope, of what
constitutes conflict of interest.”
The issue was initially proposed to be taken up at the working committee meeting in August, which was then adjourned after the board decided to seek the opinion of the Supreme Court on whether N Srinivasan could attend BCCI meetings as representative of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association in view of the conflict of interest A STATE UNIT OFFICIAL, who attended the meeting issue. Ahead of that meeting, a few associations had expressed reservations over the scope of the term.
With the Lodha committee also looking into administrative and institutional reforms in the BCCI which will be binding on it, the board has initiated multiple steps to improve its functioning.
The letter sent by the board asks every member to declare, among other things, the absence of any personal or family allegiance, bias, inclination, or any interest that could affect or provide any financial benefit to the members of the association or to close relations.
It is learnt that the changes will also prevent the players from holding any stake in companies managing teammates as well as prevent cricketers in governing bodies of state units to be appointed in key roles such as selectors.
We have asked for time as there is an urgent need to understand the scope, of what constitutes conflict of interest