BCCI to come under government scrutiny under proposed sports bill

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may reportedly come under increased scrutiny from the Indian government under a proposed national sports bill.

According to Sport24, although the Indian cricket board is not answerable to the government because of its independent funding, it, however, may become a public authority under the Right To Information (RTI) Act if the bill is passed into a law.

The report further said that in that case, the BCCI could also be asked to explain its spending like any other government department.

According to the bill, which is yet to be passed through the Parliament, the federation shall have to comply with chapter IV (unethical practices in sports) and chapter IX (applicability of RTI Act) in order to represent India in international events and have a right for a particular sport federation to use 'India' or 'Indian' in the sport scenario.

However, the report further said that other sports will not be affected much by the bill if it passed as their expenses are cleared by the government, although it added that cricket may be hit hard as its spending would have to be explained then.

Declining to comment on the bill, former ICC chief Jagmohan Dalmiya, who is the acting BCCI president in Narainswamy Srinivasan's absence, said that it would be unfair on his part to make any comments on the issue until he receives a copy of the draft sports bill, adding that he will take a final call once he discusses the issue with the board.

The draft, which also proposes an age and tenure cap for officials, a ban on tainted officials and setting up of an athletes' commission, will also be sent to the International Olympic Committee for its comments, the report also said.

According to the report, the BCCI has been in the news this year because of the spot-fixing controversy in the Indian Premier League, which led to a provisional ban on three cricketers and two top officials.

Srinivasan has also stepped aside pending an inquiry into his son-in-law's proximity to illegal bookmakers, the report added.