According to sources, Johri allowed Sharma to present the winners' trophy to Australia captan Aaron Finch after the final ODI here instead of BCCI acting president CK Khanna
Did Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) CEO Rahul Johri clear the suggestion to allow Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) president Rajat Sharma to break the cricketing tradition?
According to sources, Johri allowed Sharma to present the winners' trophy to Australia captan Aaron Finch after the final ODI here instead of BCCI acting president CK Khanna.
The source added that Johri cleared the suggestion, which is said to have come from the local body head, before leaving the Ferozeshah Kotla premises.
The issue has now snowballed into a controversy after BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary and treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry raised serious concerns over how the board president was ignored in a BCCI event.
DNA has learnt from an insider that Johri instructed a senior member of the official TV production crew about the line up on the podium and who will be presenting the trophy almost 10 overs before the last over was bowled.
Johri then left for a function held by IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals, which has turned into his defence to questions raised by the secretary on Friday.
In his letter marked to Johri and to all the three members of the Committee of Administrators (COA), Choudhary questioned the conduct of DDCA officials by asking "whether the India-Australia series was a BCCI event or that of the DDCA?"
He further directed Johri to find out "whose decision was it to exclude the concerned BCCI office-bearer from making the presentation".
Treasurer Chaudhry was more critical in his views. "It is about strictly adhering to the clearly established protocols. For example, will we agree to a proposal that the IPL trophy be presented by a nominee of the host association (TNCA this year) rather than a sitting office-bearer?" Chaudhry said.
The BCCI treasurer also confirmed DNA's story dated March 15 and has written about a video that is being circulated where Sharma and Khanna are clearly seen arguing just before the presentation.
While replying to the mail, Johri has washed his hands off by stating that he had left the venue early to be at a Rajasthan Royals event and was not aware of what led to the issue.
This, despite the fact that at least four senior BCCI employees were on the ground at that point of time and had tried to salvage the uneasy situation by offering the acting president to perform his duties.
"COA has to find out the real culprit, be it a state official or a BCCI member. If the matter is wrapped under the carpet like many other times in the past, then future presidents should be ready to face similar embarrassment in the future," Chaudhry said.
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