MUMBAI: Committee of Administrators (CoA) chairman Vinod Rai is facing further scrutiny over his operational efficacy after the three-member independent panel he set up to investigate allegations of sexual harassment against the BCCI CEO Rahul Johri has been reduced to two even before it has got started.
The Telegraph reports that the former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director PC Sharma, one of the members of the panel, has “recused” himself as his son-in-law Abhinav Mukherjee is one of the Indian cricket board’s lawyers and has been representing the organisation in the Supreme Court.
Sharma is conflicted as the board’s lawyers have been interacting exclusively with Johri, the daily reports.
Sharma’s recusal, which follows on from Diana Edulji, the other member of the CoA, having dissociated herself from the formation of any committee, reflects poorly on Rai as it was his decision alone to select the panel.
According to Telegraph India, Sharma’s replacement would most likely be Veena Gowda, an external member of the board’s internal complaints committee. It bears noting that Kareena Kripalani, head of the complaints committee, resigned a few days ago citing “personal reasons”.
The latest developments will only further embellish the negative optics that this case has already generated for Rai, which SportzPower has reported on earlier.
To quote Anand Vasu writing for The Print on the sorry state of affairs that Rai is presiding over: “That a seasoned administrator such as Rai would have even considered this an option, given how little action he took and how late, only reinforces the belief that has been held in many quarters in Indian cricket since he arrived on the scene: He talks a good game, is notionally the right man for the job, but practically, has done nothing to improve how the game is run.
What has become patently clear, however, is that the CoA realises this is the worst possible environment to try and brazen it out, on an issue that has caught the public imagination like never before.
That a seasoned administrator such as Rai would have even considered this an option, given how little action he took and how late, only reinforces the belief that has been held in many quarters in Indian cricket since he arrived on the scene: He talks a good game, is notionally the right man for the job, but practically, has done nothing to improve how the game is run.
“When Indian cricket made its clarion call to Rai, it seems like he has faced his own 2G moment. He has dropped the ball, if not the call.”When Indian cricket made its clarion call to Rai, it seems like he has faced his own 2G moment. He has dropped the ball, if not the call.”
