BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhary miffed with CEO Rahul Johri on advertisement issue

NEW DELHI: BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhary has expressed his displeasure over CEO Rahul Johri allowing the publication of an advertisement for the post of 'Team Manager' for the Indian women's cricket team on his name without his consent.

The general convention in BCCI is that for any cricketing appointment notification, the circular needs to be approved by the honorary general secretary.

It has been learnt that Johri on November 28 had sent an email to members intimating that "as per decision taken by Committee of Administrators (COA) during a meeting on October 24 and 25, the advertisement for the position of Team Manager for the Indian Women's team inviting application will be uploaded on BCCI website today".

When Chaudhary found out that an advertisement was being issued, he shot off a terse letter to Johri (a copy of which is in possession of PTI).

Chaudhary wrote: "I am surprised at this. I was in the office (Cricket centre) a day before (November 27) and no one mentioned of it (advertisement) and an advertisement in my name has already been uploaded with me not having had even a look at it. Wonder what was the tearing hurry."

The question posed by Chaudhary is not off the mark as Indian senior women's team's next assignment is only in February.

Johri did not revert back when asked for a reaction on this issue but interestingly the same advertisement has now been taken off the website. The only position for recruitment that is uploaded currently is GM (Cricket Operations).

However, the BCCI insiders are not at all surprised that once again the difference of opinion between two office-bearers has again come out in the open.

"There is still no clarity as to who is the executive functionary of the board. If one goes by the book that BCCI has followed all these years is that acting secretary is the face of the organisation. Under the regime of COA, it has turned out to be CEO. The CEO being a salaried employee was supposed to report to the secretary.

"Already, one of the issues that the members have raised is a clear demarcation between the roles of a secretary and the CEO," a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

The COA along with CEO today met at the Cricket Centre in Mumbai today. Vinod Rai did not take questions from the journalists stating that the meeting was a routine affair.

He also refused to comment on the smog-related interruption during the second day's play of the third cricket Test between India and Sri Lanka.