When the Supreme Court hears the BCCI matter this Thursday, 17 January, their attention will be as much on the persons tasked to implement the reforms as the status of reforms.
Vinod Rai is a heavy-weight, given his distinguished bureaucratic career. Diana Edulji is unaffected by that and takes strength from her appointment as an equal member of the Committee of Administrators (CoA). If there is a personality mismatch, she is not one to be intimidated and continues to punch above her weight.
That the two COA members are on opposite sides on practically every issue is not a surprise. Coming from different backgrounds, their outlook and understanding of cricket is totally out of sync with each other.
Diana Edulji has outstanding cricket credentials – a former captain of the Indian women’s team, she played international cricket for a decade and a half and was conferred the Arjuna award and the Padma Shri. About her, it is sufficient to say that unlike many others in cricket’s eco-system, she is highly qualified and knows short-leg from short fine leg and square-leg.
Give her credit also for calling a no ball when someone steps over the line.
On occasions when she has raised objections, it’s been about the process. For instance, when she raised objections to the selection process of the men’s and women’s cricket teams, it was about concerns over the CAC (Cricket Advisory Committee) being sidelined. Her strong views on CEO Rahul Johri’s ‘Me Too’ inquiry and also the Pandya-KL Rahul matter show concern about the image of the BCCI and Indian cricket. They also reflect active awareness of gender issues.
The SC, eager to end this CoA versus CoA battle, would also be keen on speedy closure on BCCI reforms. It’s been two years since the top court passed clear orders but, despite noble intent, the ground reality is unchanged. The governance hasn’t improved, there is uncertainty all around and everyone is clueless about the way forward.
Not many are surprised about the lack of visible progress. Reforms were expected to hit roadblocks and when the BCCI offered stout resistance, these fears were confirmed. With power and authority threatened, the BCCI created a series of speed-breakers, in the process giving Gandhian non-cooperation a totally new perspective. Frustrated by strong obstruction, the COA could do nothing except file status reports to the SC and whine about those putting spanners in the judicial wheel.
So, the position is: cricket is where it was, reforms are somewhere in the distance, and elections are not in the immediate future.
Behind this no-change situation is the constantly-changing position of individuals concerned — manifested in the interplay of personalities, power struggle and the clash of egos. The BCCI today is about self interest and self preservation, one-upmanship and control.
BCCI’s Game of Thrones
Phase 1 saw the CoA battling the BCCI. In this period, the CoA flexed its Supreme Court-gifted muscle to make earlier officials redundant. Their powers were stripped, perks/entitlements severely pruned, travel restricted and office staff withdrawn.
Phase 2 experienced a fresh twist with old BCCI accusing professionally managed BCCI of betrayal. Miffed by this apparent affront (by persons they employed) and rank insubordination, positions hardened within BCCI, on either side, leading to a further slowdown in decision making.
Phase 3 pitted CoA versus the CoA, an ironical development since the SC appointed persons were expected to work together and be on the same page. But that wasn’t to be and with internal differences cropping up, CoA members became opponents, not colleagues.
Differences started with the Team India coach selection and continued during the clumsy CEO inquiry, women’s cricket issues, financial clearances and now the Pandya- KL Rahul fiasco. Each issue sparked a new clash with personal differences played out in an ugly public manner full of insulting statements, e-mail leaks media and planted media articles.
BCCI members see this feud with mixed feelings of glee and satisfaction.They are happy the SC reforms appear impractical and unimplementable and feel vindicated about their role in governing cricket.
When the SC engages with this matter fans would hope there is closure.This has gone on for far too long —-unravelling in super slow motion. Time to take a final call, and move on.
(Amrit Mathur is a senior journalist, former GM of the BCCI and Manager of the Indian Cricket Team. He can be reached at @AmritMathur1)
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