Seeking a solution on the unresolved ‘conflict of interest’ issue, the Committee of Administrators have reportedly decided to approach the Supreme Court on Thursday in the wake of the Board of Control for Cricket in India Ombudsman and Ethics Officer DK Jain’s ruling against former Indian cricketers VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly.
The CoA feels the order passed by Jain is ‘rigid’ and if adhered to, around 20 former Indian players could lose their job in the commentary panel and force the BCCI to hire commentators from overseas, The Indian Express reported.
“The CoA thinks that it [the order] is very rigid; the interpretation of a commentator. Commentators are commentators, being used by the BCCI. Somebody is doing vernacular commentary, somebody is with Star, some other player is writing for vernacular papers. In this way, the CoA has to dump 20 of our own people and hire Ricky Ponting, for example, or somebody else from overseas,” a close source was quoted as saying.
Sachin Tendulkar was earlier cleared of conflict of interest charges after he recused himself from the Cricket Advisory Committee.
However, justice Jain had told Laxman and Ganguly to choose only one out of the multiple roles they were performing in Indian cricket. The duo are both part of the CAC and also part of Indian Premier League franchises Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals respectively. Meanwhile, Ganguly also holds the post of Cricket Association of Bengal president.
It is learnt that the CoA had also suggested Jain to go by the spirit and not by the law.
“The CoA has told him [Justice Jain] it needs certain clarifications. And now for that clarification, the Committee is going back to the court,” the source was quoted as saying.
Last month, Jain had clearly stated that he was not against anyone holding any post and that he went by the BCCI constitution. He told the BCCI to enforce the order on Laxman and Ganguly.