In the Rai of a storm

BCCIrsquoS reluctance to embrace reformsThe BCCIrsquos opposition to the reform package was so severe that it forced the bench in its hearing of April 2016 to ask the then attorney representing the BCCI if lsquothe BCCI was refusingto reformrsquo The BCCI maintained that it was a private body which could arrange its matters in any way it deemed fit and that memberships were part of internal managementWith all the annoyance displayed by the Court in its last three hearings the BCCI still had not considered it prudent to withdraw from its arrogant and aggressive stand and accept the reform package seeking maybe one or two modifications to its earlier judgment which the Court might have permitted All cricket enthusiasts and followers of the game have wondered at the magnetic forces that compel people to stick to powerHow did Hardik KL speak to KaranEmail sent by BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry to CoA on Hardik Pandya and KL Rahulrsquos insensitive views on Koffee With Karan ldquoI do not have the latest version of the BCCI contracts available with me and request that a copy of the same be provided to meHowever the provisions of the earlier contracts and the practice in place would have required these contracted players to seek permission to appear on the show Was such a permission sought Was such a permission granted If so by whom It is very unfair that sports journalists who are essentially the people who bring the sport and the stories surrounding the sport to the fans and play a part in ensuring the popularity of the sport do not get access to these players for interviews but Mr Karan Johar was able to get the accessrdquoNo hike for players from 2011The BCCI is believed to be the richest cricketing body in theworld The BCCI rakes in revenue only because Indian cricketers have worldwide appeal The CoA learned in 2017 much to its astonishment that the BCCI had not revised the compensation package of its contracted players since 2011Franchise before country issueToday players around the world first ensure their place in the IPL before they announce their availability for other leagues Sometimes it holds true for them playing for their country too The most outstanding example has been that of West Indies player Chris Gayle who was content playing in the IPL of 2017 and did not make himself available for his countryrsquos tour of England Another remarkable example has been that of Ben Stokes He was barred from playing due to some infractions not related to cricket That seemed not to have caused him too much of consternation as he earned 4 million and that too for a mere eightweek engagementThe problem with the NCA in BangaloreSadly therersquos nothing outstanding about the present state of the NCA It continues to exist with archaic and pedestrian facilities which are unbecoming of the cricketing giant that India is When the CoA visited it Diana pointed out that it did not even have a lsquoladies onlyrsquo washroom Team India is among the best teams in the world the BCCI is the richest cricket board in the world The BCCI is meant to be a colossus when it comes to pulling its weight in international cricket It is also fancied to be among the Big Three of world cricket We bring in 70 per cent of the revenues that ICC earns Then why is our own academy in such a stateMSD Kohli spoke up for lesser lightsAnother very commendable suggestion made by Dhoni and Kohli was that the remuneration package for the more senior and betterknown players was not so important since they earn sufficient amounts from endorsements and that it is the B and C category players who need to be compensated better as they do not have other sources of income I really appreciated this spirit of speaking up for their other teammatesMithali and Harmanpreet go the distanceOn 30 November 2018 I was advised by Saba Karim GM Cricket Operations that the girls were keen to put the controversies to rest and close the issue I admire Harmanpreet for reaching out to Saba and expressing a desire to have a frank talk with lsquoMithali dirsquo to ensure that no hard feelings remain and all issues are ironed out I was asked to sit with them It was with a certain degree of trepidation that I agreed The meeting was arranged in Delhi at a dayrsquos notice The sincerity of both the players was evident from the fact that Harman drove six hours on a Sunday morning from her home in Moga to reach Delhi Mithali who was playing a league match in Guntur flew in that morning We met and chatted for over three hours Quite a few issues were straightened outRight or wrong to leave Diana outDiana Edulji part of Rairsquos CoA was not included in this meeting see above Maybe I should have involved her maybe I was right in not doing so However none of the parties involved had voiced a desire for her inclusion and so I decided to brief her after the meetingI emailed her explaining what had transpired in the meeting and that I had encouraged the players to let bygones be bygones and settle their differences She was obviously annoyed that I had met the players without her and true to her usual frank self she emailed me back emphatically stating that I was wrong to have excluded her She believed that she could have used the opportunity to resolve some issues since she had also been dragged into the controversyExcerpted from Not Just A Nightwatchman ndash My Innings in the BCCI by Vinod Rai published by Rupa amp Co