The Committee of Administrators (CoA) on Thursday decided to change the age-old rule of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary convening the selection committee meeting of the Indian team by handing the responsibility to the chief selector – currently M.S.K. Prasad. And that has seen the selection meeting to pick the team for the West Indies tour postponed by a day to Saturday.
Speaking to IANS, sources in the know of developments saidthat the directive of the CoA has led to a complete change of plan and that hadled to a delay in the process. “The change in the rule announced by theCoA means that the Secretary will not convene the meeting and that is behindthe delay as that has leads to some complexities which need to beaddressed,” the source explained.
The CoA has decided that neither any officer bearer nor theCEO shall attend any Cricket Committee meetings henceforth. In fact, as of now,the Selection Committee had to keep the Secretary in the loop for any replacementsought or for posting of selectors to watch any game. The CoA has made it clearthat the Selection Committee doesn’t need to do so anymore.
“The Committee of Administrators have been informedthat the practice of the Secretary convening and attending Selection Committeemeetings has continued even after the new BCCI constitution has becomeeffective. Further, it is learnt that the Selection Committees continue toaddress emails to Secretary to seek his approval in relation to any change orreplacement in the team(s).
“Similarly, the Selection Committees continue toaddress e-mails to the Secretary seeking his approval on travel arrangementsand posting for selectors to watch and attend cricket matches. The SelectionCommittee does not need any approval either from the Secretary or the CEO inrelation to any selection made or change or replacement in the team,” theCoA declared.
Speaking to IANS, a senior BCCI official asked if the CoAwasn’t aware of the constitution till now and if it took them a year to realisethe rules and regulations of the constitution that was registered by thecommittee itself.
“The new Constitution of the BCCI has been mandated bythe Supreme Court and in that regard it is correct that it must be followed.Why did it dawn on the CoA now after nearly about a year since it wasregistered? What triggered this awakening? Do they not know what is happeningin the Board?” the official enquired.
The official went on to add that if the constitution wasindeed being followed, then the office bearers should also be allowed to workas per the new rules and regulations.
“Do they also plan to allow the office bearers to work as per the new constitution or do they only wish to restrict? As per the new constitution, the office bearers are ex-officio members of the Apex Council and if the CoA think of themselves as the Apex Council, then in that role the office bearers who are also in a manner, court appointed, must also be part of the meetings with their votes on these issues. “It is clear that the office bearers are not being allowed to function even as per the new constitution. So, it is basically the adoption of an arbitrary pick and choose policy by the CoA,” he rued. IANS