CoA calls for conflict ceasefire

CHENNAI: The Committee of Administrators (COA) in charge of BCCI in its 11th status report has made key recommendations to ease the conflict of interest rule. In the report uploaded on BCCI’s website, the CoA revealed that these suggestions have “been made with a view to avoid the unintended adverse effect of conflict of interest rules on game development activities of the BCCI and opportunities available therefor.”

CoA, consisting of Vinod Rai, Diana Edulji and Lt Col Rtd Ravi Thodge, arrived at these recommendations after consulting various past and present cricketers, administrators, experts in the field of ethics and legal system and also based on their own first-hand experience. In the last few months, former cricketers including Rahul Dravid had to appear before the ethics officer to explain conflict of interest allegations levelled against them.

Apart from explaining Rule 38 and 39 in the BCCI constitution which focuses on conflict of interest, the CoA wrote: “The CoA, during its tenure, came across various instances where the rules pertaining to conflict of interest have been applied to positions and scenarios which in its view did not warrant such application. Possibly, this was a result of straight-jacketed application of the rules on the basis of certain illustrations given in the conflict rules which seem to cover within its ambit a wide range of scenarios and individuals irrespective of their level of proximity with the BCCI administration.”

With all the conflict of interest charges being forwarded to ethics officer, who clearly told the CoA that he would go by the rule book, the administrators have also highlighted the need to be flexible. “It is submitted that the role of the independent Ethics Officer of administering conflict of interest is of considerable importance and as such, the Ethics Officer ought to be given more flexibility and discretion to administer and resolve conflicts in the facts and circumstances of each case rather than be bound by a straight-jacketed formula. If the rules are not clarified, then the Ethics Officer would be tied down even in cases where conflict of interest is found to be tractable and capable of being sufficiently addressed by full and proper disclosure of conflict.”

Since the rule came into effect, BCCI has not been able to attract top names for any key position because they are not allowed to hold multiple posts. In some cases, some former players own cricket academies. If they were to be a selector or a coach, they have to shut them down. Calling the time right for former cricketers to be actively involved in the BCCI, the CoA recommended, “This is the time when the need to engage with former players is at its greatest since the reform process requires activities to be managed only by cricket committees, exclusively consisting of former players not only at the BCCI level, but also state.”
As per the new recommendations, former cricketers and active players who don’t have BCCI contracts can occupy posts in the cricket committees and/or as cricket administrators with in the BCCI as well as the IPL franchises and as also under member associations.