What’s Up BCCI? No Complaint, But Still No New Contract for Shami?

The BCCI has withheld Shami’s contract because his wife has accused him of domestic violence and adultery.

"The BCCI has taken cognisance of all the reports emerging about Mohammad Shami's personal life. It is purely a personal matter and the BCCI has nothing to do with it. However, keeping in mind that the woman in question has met the police commissioner of Kolkata, it is only prudent on BCCI's part to wait for any official inquiry to take place", a BCCI official told PTI on Thursday, 8 March.

This was the the response by the Board of Control for Cricket in India when fast bowler Mohammad Shami’s wife accused him of domestic violence and adultery, charges that have been denied by the cricketer.

The BCCI withheld Shami's central contract when they announced the revised contracts for international and domestic cricketers on Wednesday.

BCCI Jumping The Gun?

Shami's wife Hasin Jahan hasn’t even lodged a complaint and the BCCI has taken a stringent action of withholding the fast bowler’s contract upgradation. Without the accusation being formal, how can the BCCI take action?

According to the law, if a well known person is accused of domestic violence, he is bringing down the goodwill of his employer, in Shami’s case the employer is BCCI.

Since Shami represents his country on the cricket field, he is supposed to behave in the best manner.

However, the BCCI can take action only after giving Shami an opportunity to speak for himself. Did they give him a chance?

Usually, a company takes a decision to suspend an accused employee only after giving them a chance to speak for themselves. However, the BCCI seems to have jumped the gun.

Shami’s innocence has not been questioned by the police or by a court, so the only ones questioning his innocence, as things stand, are his own bosses.

When former Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne separated from his wife Simone in 2005 after he was caught having an affair, he didn’t lose his contract with Cricket Australia. In fact, after separating from his wife in June 2005, he played an Ashes series in the very next month.

But, with Shami claiming innocence and no complaint filed against him, his contract is still being withheld.

(Mohammed Shami’s wife Hasin Jahan lodged a complaint against the fast bowler after which a FIR was registered against him on Friday. However, the BCCI decided to withhold Shami’s new contract even before the complaint was filed.)

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