Revision as of 19:39, 7 July 2015

Graphic courtesy: The Times of India

Conflict of interest

The Times of India

Manoj Mitta, Nov 30 2014

Supreme Court's own role in Srinivasan's `conflict of interest'

The contention that cricket administrator N Srinivasan was involved in a conflict of interest was “thoroughly misconceived“, “substance-less“ and proceeded on “a complete misconception of what T20 matches are all about“. No, these are not the words of counsel representing Srinivasan or BCCI in the ongoing battle before the Supreme Court on the IPL betting scandal. Rather, they are part of a controversial verdict given over three years ago by a judge of the same court on the same conflict of interest.

In April 2011, the presiding judge of a bench, JM Panchal, exonerated Srinivasan on the charge of conflict of interest while dismissing an appeal filed against a Madras high court decision by his predecessor in the BCCI, AC Muthiah. Justice Panchal did so citing two broad reasons.The first was that all decisions in BCCI including those relating to IPL were taken collectively , not by Srinivasan alone. The other reason was Muthiah's failure to show “how BCCI was put to financial loss because of participation by (Srinivisan) in bidding process for the IPL team“.

It could not however prevent the conflict of interest issue from resur facing in 2013 after the IPL betting revelations. Srinivasan could not shield himself with Panchal's judg ment as it had actually been neutral ized by a contrary view taken by the other member of his bench, Justice Gyan Sudha Misra. Besides endors ing Muthiah's allegation of conflict of interest, Misra said that if Srini vasan wanted to remain the Chen nai franchisee of IPL, “he shall be at liberty to do so but in that event he shall be restrained from holding any office in the BCCI in any capaci ty whatsoever“.

Since the two-judge bench deliv ered a `split verdict', it was incum bent on the Chief Justice of India to refer the matter to a larger bench But that never happened. The insti tutional failure to follow up on this matter of great public importance is a contributory factor in the latest crisis facing Indian cricket. This is evident from the fact that much of the scathing observations made by the current bench of Justices TS Thakur and FM Ibrahim Kalifullah are so reminiscent of the stand taken by Justice Misra in her 2011 judgment. In the 2011 case, upholding the award of Chennai franchise to India Cements, Panchal had said: “The re cord does not indicate that any franchisee or any member of BCCI has complained of any alleged conflict of in terest. It is nobody's case that the team was purchased by the respondent for a smug (sic) and that he had prevented others who wanted to offer more price for purchase of the team and thereby caused financial loss to BCCI. Thus, the plea of conflict of interest is substance-less and is hereby rejected“.

Tracing the growing popularity of T20 cricket at the expense of the traditional formats of the game, Panchal endorsed the IPL formula of conducting the matches “purely on commercial lines“. In his opinion, “it stands to reason that any person who is interested in the game should be able to participate in the commercial aspect of T20“.

India in ODIs without MS Dhoni

The Times of India, Jul 7, 2015

Jamie Alter,

How India have fared in ODIs without MS Dhoni

Here is a look at the replacement skippers appointed for various past series and how India fared under them.

Under Suresh Raina

In the summer of 2010, Dhoni was given a break for a triangular tournament in Zimbabwe, with Raina given the leadership of a weakened side. India lost to Zimbabwe twice in that series and failed to reach the final.

In the summer of 2011, following India's successful World Cup title win, the BCCI send an inexperienced side to the West Indies, one missing Virender Sehwag, Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh. Raina was chosen to lead, and under him India won 3-2. Raina did not impose himself on the series - he made 82 runs in five innings - but Rohit Sharma rose to the occasion with 247 in as many innings to be named Man of the Series. West Indies won the last two ODIs to avoid a total rout.

In June 2014, just after the IPL, Raina was recalled and made captain for a three-match tour of Bangladesh which a second-string side won 2-0. The rain-hit series was most famous for Stuart Binny's record figures of 6 for 4 in the second ODI. The third game was washed out.

Under Gautam Gambhir

India were led by the opener Gambhir for a five-ODI series at home against New Zealand in late 2010, and won 5-0. Gambhir scored two unbeaten centuries at over a run-a-ball in the second and third ODIs in Jaipur and Vadodara to hasten eight and nine-wicket wins respectively.

Under Virender Sehwag

In November 2011, Dhoni was rested for a five-ODI series at home against West Indies. This was the series in which Sehwag scored 219 to become just the second batsman, after Sachin Tendulkar, to cross the double-hundred mark in ODIs. After scores of 20, 26 and 0, Sehwag smashed 219 from 149 balls in the fourth match in Indore to propel India to 418. They won by 153 runs to take an unassailable 3-1 lead. Sehwag did not play the last ODI in Chennai, which India won by 34 runs under Gambhir to win the contest 4-1.

Under Virat Kohli

Having led in three of five games during a tri-series in the West Indies in the Caribbean in 2013, Kohli got his first shot at leading the team shortly afterwards for an entire tour when the BCCI send a weakened side to Zimbabwe for five games. They blanked the hosts 5-0, with Kohli scoring 115, 14 and 68* in three innings. Next, Kohli led India during the 2014 Asia Cup where the team failed to make the final, losing to Sri Lanka and Pakistan narrowly.

Kohli's next assignment was five ODIs at home in November 2014, with Dhoni again absent. India won 5-0, Kohli having a strong series with 329 runs at 82.25.

Under Ajinkya Rahane?

With Kohli among the large group of senior players rested, a depleted Indian side have a fresh captain for the tour of Zimbabwe. Rahane has led in just two matches in senior representative cricket and must be a bit miffed at being dropped in Bangladesh, so it will be of particular interest as to how he copes with trying to work his way back into the ODI XI once normal service is restored, as well with the "surprise" burden of being captain.