Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri might come under the scanner of ‘Conflict of interest’
When Indian Cricket Governing Body Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is keen to address the issue of “conflict of interest” among cricketers and officials, a new issue is yet to come under the scanner as Indian team director Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli is associated with an International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) franchise UAE Royals, the Indian Express reported.
On Friday, BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur was asked about the partnership, he said Indian Express, “ I have come to know about this through the media. I will talk to the parties concerned.”
Sashtri’s tenure as Team Director with Indian team is extended till 2016 World T20 in India. When Sashttri was contacted, he confirmed his role “advisor” to the Royals’ board to help build the brand and a team but snapped the idea of “conflict of interest.”
“Not at all. What has that got to do with cricket? This is trying to get a team culture going among people who play individual sports. And team branding. Conflict of interest maybe if Virat or other stakeholders are Indian tennis captains,” Shastri wrote in a text message sent to the national daily.
Just two months ago, the BCCI admitted that the impact of the “conflict of interest” is damaging their image and said it would eradicate it with an iron fist.
Thakur had also written letters to all state associations and working committee members asking them to fill up a “No conflict of Interest” undertaking. Thakur in that letter also defined the characteristic of conflict of interest in his letter sent in July. “Conflict of interest is not about beliefs or biases. It is about a person’s role and relationship, and the tendency or apprehension of bias that assumes to exist when duties, decisions or action conflicts. Deciding that someone has a conflict of interest is a description of a situation, not a judgment about that person or her actual beliefs.”
Other BCCI officials said all the undertaking will be verified when all the cricketers, members of team management and association members will be asked to sign the undertaking. “All these things will come up for scrutiny when the members and the stakeholders will be asked to sign the Conflict of Interest undertaking,” he said.
Meanwhile, Praveen Bhatnagar, CEO of UAE Royals, said their franchise was delighted to have the Indian Test captain Virat Kohli and Team Director Ravi Shastri. He added that having the Indian cricket team’s director would help the team in their quest to win the title.
Bhatnagar said, the contract of Shastri was still being worked out, but he would be with the UAE outfit for the 2015 season.
“We are happy to have Virat Kohli as co-owner and Ravi Shastri as mentor, advisor and consultant. I am a great admirer of Ravi Shastri and we are grateful that he has come on board. Shastri has the background of being a player at the highest level and also a team director of the Indian cricket team,” said Bhatnagar.
“Like in the IPL, the IPTL made tennis a team sport and having someone like Shastri as a mentor will help our team in the quest to win the title,” he added.
The “conflict of interest” issue erupted when Indian ODI captain M S Dhoni came under scrutiny for his alleged stake in Rhiti Sports, which is managed by his friend. The Sports management company used to manage Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and Dhoni himself. Eyebrows had also raised over Dhoni’s position as vice president in India Cements, a company of N Srinivasan, the company headed by the then BCCI chief N Srinivasan and which owns the suspended IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings is led by Dhoni.