Ganguly fears danger for BCCI

Former India captain and Cricket of Bengal (CAB) president Sourav Ganguly has expressed “deep sense of fear” at the way the Indian cricket was being administered and feels it is in a state of “danger”.

Known to speak his mind, Ganguly also raised questions over the Committee of Administrators on the handling of sexual harassment charges against Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) CEO Rahul Johri.

In a letter to BCCI acting president CK Khanna, acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary and treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry, Ganguly wrote about his “deep sense of worry” at the declining authority of Indian cricket in the last couple of years.

“I write this mail to you all with the deep sense of fear as to where the Indian cricket administration is going. Having played the game for a long period of time, when our lives were ruled by winning and losing, the image of Indian cricket was of paramount importance to us. We wake up looking at how our cricket is faring even now. But with deep sense of worry I beg to state that the way things have gone in the last couple of years, the authority of Indian cricket to the world and the love and belief of millions of fans is on the way down,” Ganguly wrote.

Ganguly was also critical of the functioning of CoA and said handling of harassment charges over Johri has put BCCI in poor light. He also raised questions over cricketing decisions made in recent years and found it “appalling” the way Ravi Shastri was appointed the India coach. “I don’t know how far it’s true, but the recent reports of harassment have really made the BCCI look very poor, more so the way it has been handled. The COA from four has come down to two and now the two seem to be divided. Cricketing rules are changed in the middle of a season, which has never been heard of, decisions made in committees are turned around with complete disrespect, my experience in the matter of coach selection was appalling (the less said the better).”

Ganguly said today people are clueless about the BCCI functioning. “One of my friends who is involved in matters relating to functioning of the Board asked me who should they go to. I had no answer. I had to ask who should I invite for an international game from a particular association as I did not know what was going on. Indian cricket with its massive following has been built over the years of hard work from superb administrators and greatest of cricketers who have managed to bring thousands of fans to the ground. I, at the present moment, think it’s in danger. Hope people are listening.”

Declare CoI, says CoA

The independent panel probing the sexual harassment charge against Johri must declare the absence of any conflict of interest in its first meeting, the Committee of Administrators said on Tuesday after a member had to be replaced owing to this reason.

Laying down the terms of reference for the three-member panel, the CoA said the probe committee will be free to investigate all charges against Johri and would be open to hearing any “person who is desirous of placing any fact” in the matter.

The probe panel originally comprised former Allahabad HC judge Justice Rakesh Sharma, former Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Barkha Singh and former CBI Director P C Sharma. However, Sharma was replaced by advocate Veena Gowda after it came to light that one of his relatives was a BCCI employee.