Board addresses grey areas with conflict of interest rules

MUMBAI: All individuals with conflict of interest in Indian cricket have been served another reminder by the BCCI. While the decks had been cleared for stringent rules to monitor it during the AGM on November 9, the BCCI spelt them out in detail on its website on Saturday.

It means no more hiding behind technicalities for India captains, their teammates or the coaching staff. Henceforth it will be a clear yes or no or they will be up for action by BCCI’s ombudsman, Justice (retd.) AP Shah. Of all the rules, the most important is about current India players being barred from being involved commercially with a player management firm. SKIPPERS’ INTERESTS With commercialisation touching new heights in the game, the last few years have seen India captains getting involved in ventures which were in direct conflict with their role in the team, which could lead to favouritism in selection.

Marked as Point 3 under ‘Cricketers — Current’, the rules listed say: “Current cricketers shall declare the name and details of his/her player agent or the player management company. Current cricketers shall not have any business interest in a player management company.”

Also, the cricketers cannot enter into partnerships among themselves. It is mentioned under point number 5 under conflict of interest relating to team management and selection, where rule number C states: “No player who is a part of a team selected by the BCCI or his near relatives shall have any business association with, or financial interest in any venture with either an affiliated unit, another player who is a part of the team, team management or administrator.”

The clause also says that no member of the team management of any team of the BCCI or their near relatives shall have any financial interest or business association with any member who is part of the squad. It will put a stop to all ventures like the one team director Ravi Shastri and skipper Virat Kohli were known to have in a professional tennis league team.

At the AGM, BCCI president Shashank Manohar had not set a deadline as such for the players to declare any conflict of interest, but put the onus on them that if there is a complaint then they will be in trouble.