BCCI president Sourav Ganguly brushed aside the issue of conflict of interest that arose out of his Instagram post where he is wearing a JSW Cement T-shirt as the company’s brand ambassador.
JSW Sports that is a joint owner of Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Capitals is the sports arm of the JSW Group. Ganguly though was quick to clarify that he has no connection with the sports company.
“How do I influence? I am not a brand ambassador of JSW Sports (which handles Delhi Capitals in IPL). I don’t think the cement company is a sponsor of the (Delhi Capitals) team. I don’t see any conflict in it. I am not associated with their cricket; had I been, it would have been a conflict,” Ganguly told The Sunday Express.
Ganguly has in the past expressed his disagreement with conflict of interest clause in the BCCI constitution, saying that it will prevent the board from using the services of former cricketers.
Read: It’s not personal: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly’s conflict of interest is a big problem
The clause makes the following hypothesis: “When the BCCI, a Member, the IPL or a Franchisee enter into contractual arrangements with entities in which the individual concerned or his/her relative, partner, or close associates has an interest. This is to include cases where family members, partners or close associates are in positions that may, or maybe seen to compromise an individual’s participation, performance and discharge of roles.”
The former Indian captain had resigned as the mentor of Delhi Capitals before taking over as BCCi president but continued to be associated with online cricket fantasy league My11Circle, raising questions about a possible conflict of interest.