BCCI finally cleans up, but a long way to go

The road to integrity for the BCCI is a long and arduous one. The removal of Srinivasan as ICC chief is a step in the right direction but more needs to be done

In his own unassuming, understated style, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Shashank Manohar on Monday brandished his sword, slaying N Srinivasan, Ravi Shastri, Anil Kumble and Roger Binny in one mighty hit that is likely to go a long way in turning around the BCCI's ignominious reputation and restoring its credibility.
 
At the BCCI annual general meeting in Mumbai, Srinivasan was removed as India’s representative at the International Cricket Council (ICC), thereby automatically losing the post of chairman of the sport’s world governing body. In many ways, Srinivasan’s fate was sealed the day Manohar took over as BCCI president early last month. In 2014, Srinivasan stepped down as BCCI chief after the Supreme Court adjudged him of having a conflict of interest, but refused to relinquish his post as ICC chairman. Srinivasan heads the parent company of India Cements, the subsidiary that owns the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Chennai Super Kings.

 
Shastri, now the Indian team’s director, is no longer a member of the IPL governing council. Former Indian all-rounder Binny has been dropped as the national selector from the south zone. Binny’s son, Stuart, is a part of the Indian team. In the past, Indian selectors have come under heavy fire for sticking with Binny Jr. despite his somewhat middling performances for the national side. And, Kumble, who is now contracted with the Board as a commentator, has had to vacate his position as the head of the BCCI’s technical committee. He will be replaced by former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly.

 

Manohar, it seems, is keen to get rid of any element in the Board set-up that has even the remotest of conflict of interest.
 
However, there is still a fair way to go. If the new “conflict of interest” rules are fully implemented by the BCCI in the coming months, a few current Indian players are also likely to come under the scanner.
 
As per the clause, national coaches and selectors should not be associated with any private coaching academies or with a player management company or player agent, even in an honorary capacity. And, if the BCCI gets its way, current players would not be allowed to have a business interest in the player management companies that represent them, which means that Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s business interests will now be firmly in focus.

 
Kohli is closely associated with sports management company Cornerstone, which also represents the likes of Rohit Sharma, Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan. In fact, two companies of which Kohli is co-owner are both Cornerstone ventures. Dhoni is on the board of directors of India Cements and also holds shares of Rhiti Sports, a sports management company. If the BCCI indeed wants to overhaul the way cricket in the country is run as a whole, then action against Kohli and Dhoni seems necessary.
 
Also, in spite of giving up his post as head of BCCI’s technical committee, Kumble’s association with IPL franchise Mumbai Indians links him to the BCCI. Ganguly, along with heading the technical committee, will also be running the Cricket Association of Bengal. It would be fatuous to conclude that a conflict of interest has been obliterated in these two cases. These are niggling questions that the BCCI must answer in the coming weeks to convince fans that this clean-up isn’t merely a farcical procession.

 
The road to integrity for the BCCI is a long and arduous one. And, nobody understands that better than Manohar. Showing the door to Srinivasan is a step in the right direction but the BCCI must not make exceptions while ensuring that cricket administration in India becomes more accountable and transparent. After much scrutiny, the BCCI finds itself surrounded by a peculiar sanguinity. Manohar must not let that go waste.