Ramchandra Guha 'exposes' Indian cricket in no-holds-barred resignation letter

Tags: India, BCCI, Ramchandra Guhas, CEO, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Anil Kumble, contract

Published on: Jun 03, 2017

Day after he quit the SC-appointed committee of administrators (CoA) to look after BCCI, Ramchandra Guha's scathing resignation letter, which takes on the mighty cricket board

Day after he quit the SC-appointed committee of administrators (CoA) to look after BCCI, Ramchandra Guha's scathing resignation letter, which takes on the mighty cricket board has gone viral.

Speaking about the much-known superstar culture, he wrote, “The superstar culture that afflicts BCCI means that the more famous the player, the more leeway he is allowed in violating norms and procedures.”

"The Indian team's record this past season has be en excellent; and even if the players garner the bulk of the credit, surely the head coach and his support staff also get some," wrote Guha.

"In a system based on justice and merit, the head coach's term would have been extended. Instead, Kumble was left hanging, and then told the post would be re-advertised afresh. The issue has been handled in an extremely insensitive and unprofessional manner by the BCCI CEO and the BCCI office-bearers, with the COA, by its silence and inaction, unfortunately being complicit in this regard. If indeed the captain and the head coach were not getting along, why was this not attended to as soon as the Australia series was over in late March? Why was it left until the last minute, when a major international tournament was imminent," he added.

He indirectly criticised Virat Kohli's influence in the Indian dressing room. Guha wrote, “Surely , giving senior players the impression that they may have a veto power over the coach is another example of the superstar culture gone berserk? Such a veto power is not permitted to any other top level professional team in any other sport in any other country."

"Already, in a dismaying departure from international norms, current Indian players enjoy a veto power on who can be the members of the commentary team. If it is to be coaches next, then perhaps the selectors and even office-bearers will follow?" Guha added. “Awarding MS Dhoni an ` A' contract when he had explicitly ruled himself out from all Test matches was indefensible on cricketing grounds, and sends absolutely the wrong message".

"I have also repeatedly pointed to the anomaly whereby BCCI-contracted commentators simultaneously act as player agents. Sunil Gavaskar is head of a company which represents Indian cricketers while commenting on those crickters as part of the BCCI TV commentary panel. This is a clear conflict of interest. Either he must step downwithdraw himself from PMG completely or stop being a commentator for BCCI,” Guha felt.

“No person under contract with an India team, or with the NCA, should be allowed to moonlight for an IPL team too,” possibly referring to Dravid, the coach of India ` A' and Under-19 teams and the mentor of IPL franchise, Delhi Daredevils.

--By A Cricket Correspondent

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