CoA war out in open over women's coach

Rai appoints heavy duty ad hoc panel, Edulji insists its the job of CAC

[File] CoA chairman Vinod Rai overruled his colleague Diana Edulji's objections to announcing the panel | PTI [File] CoA chairman Vinod Rai overruled his colleague Diana Edulji's objections to announcing the panel | PTI

Things are going from bad to worse in an alarmingly speedy manner at the Board of Control for Cricket in India. In a flurry of email exchanges on Monday and Tuesday, the two-member Committee of Administrators (CoA) expressed their difference of opinion over whether to have a new ad-hoc panel for the selection of coach for the senior India women's team or retain incumbent Ramesh Powar. CoA chairman Vinod Rai overruled his colleague Diana Edulji's objections to announcing the panel which she felt was not required. 

At 4.45 pm on Tuesday, a BCCI email advisory announced the setting up of a three-member ad hoc committee to select the head coach for Team India. It was undersigned by Vinod Rai. The panel consists of former Indian skippers Kapil Dev and Shantha Rangaswamy and former India opener, coach and national selector Anshuman Gaekwad. 

Interviews of shortlisted persons who had applied for the same will be conducted on December 20 at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai.

But what preceded this announcement was a bitter argument between Rai and his colleague Edulji. 

In an email sent to Edulji and all BCCI officials at 2.02 pm, Rai ordered them to go ahead with appointment of the ad hoc panel “in the best interest of women's cricket”. “As chairman of the CoA, I reiterate my views. Rahul and Ssaba may please take action as instructed by me yesterday,” he said.

In response to this, at 2.48 pm, Diana in an email marked to Rai, BCCI CEO Rahul Johri, GM Cricket Operations Saba Karim, three existing office bearers of the BCCI said, “I have read Mr Rai's email and don't agree with it. As chairman he cannot take unilateral decisions as there is no casting vote for chairman. Rahul and Saba, without my approval you cannot proceed on this.”

In another email by Edulji sent two hours earlier to the above mentioned officials, she said, “...When I mentioned lets refer the ad hoc committee issue to Amicus, you suddenly care about deadlines and timelines. And going to Amicus doesn't even cost. .....Regarding the coach, right from the beginning I have expressed that there should be no change, but with someone's ulterior motive, emails were leaked and the team was shown as a divided lot, which they are not....Even in the leaks issue, you brushed it off saying this is what BCCI is famous for and it is going on till today. Does it mean it is not CoA's job to ensure such leaks don't happen and measures are taken to stop it?”

Edulji further accused Rai of holding a meeting with India Twenty20 skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and her deputy Smriti Mandhana in her absence. She pointed out that Rai had instructed BCCI to advertise for coach's job without closing previous process and that six candidates were awaiting results.

She further revealed that it was the CAC's mandate to select a coach but before they could agree, Karim had already spoken to Kapil Dev and Shubhangi Kulkarni. She also questioned how Dev and Anshuman Gaekwad could be in ad hoc panel as they are also in the Supreme Court-appointed steering committee to form the players' association. However, the BCCI legal council clarified the status of the conflict of interest among the people concerned. 

Edulji's argument was that the views of two senior players should not be ignored. She cited the example of Virat Kohli not acceding to “Anil Kumble continuing (as coach) in spite of the CAC saying so... then why not these two do what they feel is best for the team.”

Interestingly, the original CAC consisting of Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and V.V.S. Laxman has reportedly declined to hold these interviews as they were approached at a short notice. In fact, Laxman in an email on the trio's behalf said that the CAC awaited to be told clearly the scope and mandate. 

Edulji in her email to Rai had said: “CAC said they would like more time. We should give them the time and define their roles better.”

It appears Rai simply does not want a replay of what happened with Kohli and Kumble and wants the women's coach appointment to start from scratch. 

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