Senior Journalist Prem Panicker's take on BCCI's conflict of interest

ICC chairman N Srinivasan

Not to be a nag, ICC - I know there are more pressing matters for you to attend to just now - but still. I'm mildly curious about a couple of things. Like, so:


ICC chairman N Srinivasan. Pic/AFP

' Is it true that per your rules, the president of a national cricket body is the one who gets inducted into the ICC's board of directors? If yes, could you let us know who the BCCI president is? None of us here in India seem to know - but you should, since you do have an individual occupying that seat on your board, no?

' On September 29, 2013, a BCCI meeting decided "by oral consensus" that N Srinivasan would be the BCCI representative on the ICC executive board. The board's natural life-span ended in September 2014. So who is India's representative on your executive board just now? How? Why?

' Clause 2.1 of your Code of Ethics (by the way, just this morning I read of your determination to be very strict on enforcing the code - I presume you meant it to include officials as well? - says "Directors shall not engage in any conduct that in any way denigrates the ICC or harms its public image." Arising from which: The Supreme Court of India ruled yesterday that N Srinivasan (I believe he is your chairman?) cannot contest the much-delayed BCCI elections. Some niggling thing about "conflict of interest" appears to have pissed off our Supremes. So the question is: Do you think a director deemed by the court to be unfit to hold office of BCCI president, and further, one barred from contesting the upcoming election, should be on your executive board, let alone be your chairman? If yes, why? If not, what do you propose to do about it?

' Clause 4.11 (F) of your constitution says that the Executive Board can remove any director if, among other things, he indulges in any act that brings the Council into disrepute. Would you say that Srinivasan, by (a) Being at the receiving end of court strictures about egregious conflicts of interest; (b) Being told by the Supreme Court that his presence at the head of the BCCI is "nauseating"; (c) Being told that he cannot office as president due to conflict of interest, and is barred from contesting any future elections until and unless he clears himself of that conflict, has possibly brought disrepute to your council? If so, do you intend to review his position in your executive board, and at its helm? If not, could you let us know what will bring your esteemed council into disrepute?

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Courtesy: 'Smoke Signals', a blog run by senior journalist Prem Panicker. Used with permission from the author.