BCCI sponsor Dream11 isn’t concerned about the cricket board’s president Sourav Ganguly endorsing a rival fantasy gaming platform My11Circle, its co-founder and CEO Harsh Jain has insisted. Ganguly finds himself embroiled in a conflict of interest controversy due to his personal endorsements ahead of the BCCI AGM set to be held on December 24.

“We are not concerned about Sourav Ganguly’s personal endorsements. This is BCCI’s internal matter and I have no further comment on this issue,” Jain told news agency PTI.

Apart from the fantasy gaming platform, Ganguly reportedly also is associated with steel-making company JSW Group which co-own IPL franchise Delhi Capitals. However, PTI reported that the former India captain is no longer part of the company.

The agency also quoted an unnamed BCCI official as saying that nothing will come of the discussions surrounding Ganguly’s conflicts of interest.

“Sourav had declined endorsement offers from Tata motors and BYJUs as both were BCCI sponsors. So where does the question of conflict arise,” a senior BCCI official was quoted as saying.

“At the height of the fixing scandal in 2013 after N Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was arrested on allegations of his involvement in spot-fixing, before every meeting the media used to write that Srinivasan would be cornered but I can tell you nothing of that sort happened,” he said.

As per BCCI rules,  “Any Administrator or their near relatives should not be associated with any company/organisation that has entered into a commercial agreement with the BCCI. Association shall not mean any near relative who is working as a regular employee of the company/organisation. However, this will not apply to the smallholding of shares in a public limited company.”

The administrator cannot draw any financial benefits from the BCCI.

“An administrator shall not draw any financial benefits from the BCCI except as per the TA and DA rules for BCCI, ICC, ACC meetings or meetings with foreign boards, and any retirement benefit he/she may be entitled for as a former cricketer/umpire or any other capacity or such other expenses that may be incurred in carrying out his/her duties.

“An administrator or his near relative shall not be associated with a player management company or a player agent in any form either honorary or paid.”

There have been reports that BCCI members plan to corner Ganguly during the AGM and question him regarding his alleged conflicts of interest.

With PTI Inputs