CAG appeals in SC: Former BCCI official says focus must remain on game

<br>Reacting to the turn of events, a former BCCI official said that these were the exact issues that the office-bearers had presented to the SC.

“Essentially, this is exactly what we had been arguing before the Hon’ble Court. To be fair, even the Chairman of the CoA had said the same thing to us in a meeting but he said that his hands were tied since his job was limited to the implementation of what the court had directed.

“A former CAG has operated as the Chairman of the CoA with the same established controls and systems for about three years and one hopes that he would have only contributed to make the systems tighter, if at all it was required.

“Also, the BCCI and the State Associations receive no funds from the government, either the central or the state government and in fact, the BCCI and the associations are being taxed widely and significantly,” he told IANS.

The former official then went on to give examples of how the names of some of the greatest contributors to Indian cricket have been brought up and held under the scanner on issues like conflict of interest.

“You have seen emails addressed to everyone who is anyone including the PM and the CJI for issues as small as calculation of tenure of an individual and of matters of conflict against some of the biggest contributors to the game of cricket. If this carries on, the Hon’ble Supreme Court may have to constitute a special bench for cricket matters for all times to come.

“The energy and focus of administration must remain glued on to the game of cricket rather than on navigating matters manufactured by motivated individuals across the country. There is a significant rise in the number of veiled threats to officials of associations, usually linked with requests for selection. This is a spiral that needs to be corrected but it is only the Hon’ble Court that can correct it,” he explained.

–IANS<br>bbh/<br>