BCCI To Draw Line On Dravid Issue
Jan 9, 2019 at 4:08 PM
Rahul Dravid’s letter to the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA), asking if his role as a national coach of India’s junior teams is in conflict with his duties as a mentor to an Indian Premier League franchise, has created rumours.
“The question is not about whether Rahul can continue as national coach while he’s with an IPL team or vice versa. The question is whether the BCCI is clear in its own thought process even as it struggles to put in place basic governance policies,” a cricketer-turned-administrator told TOI on Monday.
Dravid’s role as a national coach while being an IPL franchise mentor is being seen as a case of conflict by a section of senior individuals who manage the state of affairs in Indian cricket. And, in that, there is a thought process that, in the words of a senior administrator, works like this: “A position with the national team, in whichever capacity, has to be considered `sanctimonious’.It’s a choice one has to make -work with the national team and the National Cricket Academy for an entire year and draw a handsome salary or draw the same salary working with an IPL franchise, if you’re getting it, and use the remaining time to pursue whatever off-field interests you may have. But you can’t be doing both. Let’s not complicate this, let’s just take a look at ball circuit works.” how the football circuit works.”
“Maybe not but the principles of what constitutes conflict can be determined as a broader outline. For instance, Sourav Ganguly is also conflicted by way of being a BCCI state association chief doing commentary. Just until last month, his business partner was an IPL franchise owner. It’s a conflict,” says the administrator.
“A lot is going to happen in this matter between now and next month. Just wait and watch. Even a handbook will be brought out spelling out a few basics,” is how another senior administrator put it, confirming that the coming BCCI general meeting will discuss it as a priority.