Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri is very unhappy with the obstructions caused by the “conflict of interest” in Indian cricket. Shastri is of the opinion that the conflict of interest clause is keeping the best people away from the game.
According to Ravi Shastri, there are many great people who can contribute to Indian cricket immensely, but they are keeping themselves away from any role because they are at the conflict of interest somewhere else, which doesn’t make any sense because BCCI won’t get the services of best people that way.
Calling the “conflict of interest” clause way over the top, Shastri said that he has been against it ever since the time it was mentioned for the first time in the report of the Lodha Committee, which was set to bring reforms in the structure and the functioning of the BCCI.
Shastri also revealed when he was the head coach of India, he was not allowed to take up a commentary role during the IPL when he was not doing anything and sitting at home. He just can’t understand how him commentating in the IPL would have been conflict of interest in anyway.
It’s not just limited to the post of the head coach. Even if someone is just a part of the support staff of the Indian team, whether he is an assistant coach, fielding coach or even a masseur, he can’t sign a contract with one of the IPL teams. How does the masseur of the Indian team working in the IPL a conflict of interest?
Ravi Shastri insisted that the cricketers or the best professionals, in general, are not getting a chance to ply their trade because of a conflict of interest.
Ravi Shastri can now take up commentary roles after resigning as India’s head coach
The current Indian head coach Rahul Dravid also had to step down from his role in the IPL when he was first appointed the director of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
The former Indian batsman VVS Laxman, who has now succeeded Rahul Dravid as the next NCA director, has also already resigned from his mentorship role at Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) because of a possible conflict of interest.
“It’s absolute nonsense, this conflict of interest clause, should be thrown into the bin,” Ravi Shastri said while talking to Indian Express.
Shastri, however, can take up any roles in media or commentary now, as he is not associated with BCCI anymore. He might already return to commentary with the India Vs South Africa test series starting in a couple of days’ time, as he has featured in the promo of the series released by Star Sports.
