The Indian cricket board’s ethics officer - Justice DK Jain - has ordered that cricketers will have to abide by one-post-at-a-time clause as mentioned in the Supreme Court-approved BCCI constitution.

The order means that players will have to choose either to be with IPL teams, cricket administration, coaching role or commentary. The rule is applicable irrespective of whether the players are contracted with the BCCI or the broadcasters.

Many big names like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Sunil Gavaskar, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Sanjay Manjrekar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Irfan Pathan, among others are seen doing commentary at the World Cup 2019 - some of them from the Mumbai studios.

It all started when Sanjeev Gupta (a former member of the MP Cricket Association) lodged conflict cases against Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman. He wrote to the ethics officer: “Your order has set the precedent/benchmark for every individual associated with the BCCI, every state unit, IPL, TV broadcaster, every BCCI member, BCCI administrators, state unit administrators, etc to comply with the law of the land.”

According to the new BCCI constitution uploaded on its website, the “conflict of interest” clause is explained under rule 38 (4). It states, “It is clarified that no individual may occupy more than one of the following posts at a single point of time except where prescribed under these rules: a) player (current), (b) selector/member of the cricket committee, (c) team official, (d) commentator, (e) match official, (f) administrator/office-bearer… (p) owner of a cricket academy.”

It further states that “As far as incumbents are concerned, every disclosure mandated under sub-rule (3) may be made within 90 days of the effective date.”

If not abided with the clause, the repercussions will not only be felt by the members of BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee - which used to consist of Ganguly, Laxman and Tendulkar - but also by all the commentators.

After the start of this years IPL, many cricketers took up short-term jobs, switching between commentary assignments or coaching and administration.

“A few personalities are occupying multiple posts, which leads to concentration of power. To end it is one of the main thrusts of the Lodha Committee reforms,” says an expert who explained the conflict of interest clause according to Hindustan Times.

Ganguly is a Cricket Advisory Committee member, Cricket Association of Bengal chief, Star Sports commentator and mentors Delhi Capitals. Laxman mentors Sunrisers Hyderabad and is a Cricket Advisory Committee member while Sachin mentors Mumbai Indians and is also a Cricket Advisory Committee member.