DNA Edit: Politics Of Cricket - Mithali Raj’s letter has opened Pandora’s Box

The Mithali Raj controversy has laid bare the fault lines within the BCCI and how powerful vested interests are running the show in contravention of Supreme Court orders. Raj, who is at the fag end of her career, is still in the team because of her sterling form. While the decision to drop her was indeed unfortunate — she had levelled allegations of humiliation and discrimination — it was neither the call of Committee of Administrators (CoA) member, Diana Edulji nor BCCI CEO Rahul Johri to weigh in on team management matters.

It is surprising that the person who should have been informed about Raj’s exclusion from the team or the allegations of harassment was kept completely in the dark. According to the BCCI constitution, the ultimate power in team-related matters rests with the President and the Secretary.

Hence, Acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary’s statement following the leak of Raj’s email to the press assumes significance. Raj’s mail addressed to the BCCI didn’t feature Choudhary as a recipient and even those who did receive the letter — Johri and General Manager Saba Karim — didn’t bother to inform the acting secretary. This shows that the BCCI is in a deep mess and the very people appointed by the Supreme Court to clean up the mess have contributed to making it murkier.

The recommendations of the SC-appointed Justice Lodha Committee were restricted to the administration of cricket but the people wielding power because of SC’s intervention are dabbling in cricketing matters. It has now become imperative for CoA chief Vinod Rai to call for elections and facilitate the way for a proper system to take roots.

The climate is now conducive for the shift. Most states have implemented Lodha Committee’s recommendations and those who were reluctant are now coming around. For far too long the politics of cricketing administration has played out in the corridors of the SC. Now it has started impacting the goings-on in the field.