Spot-fixing: SC reserves verdict

All BCCI commentators have ‘conflict of interest’

New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India decided to reserve the verdict on the issue of conflict of interest after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) submitted a list of players, administrators and officials having commercial interests in Indian Premier League (IPL) and Champions League (CLT20).

The list submitted by the board included Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and Sourav Ganguly. Kris Srikkanth's name also featured on the list and this, in particular, did not go well with the apex court, which questioned BCCI as to why it allowed another instance of conflict of interest. Srikkanth was associated with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as a brand ambassador while serving as the chief of selectors. Other prominent names like Lalchand Rajput and Venkatesh Prasad featured on the list, too.

The apex court, which wanted to strike down the amendment in BCCI constitution's controversial Rule 6.2.4, had asked BCCI to submit names of individuals who would be affected if the rule is struck down. "Apart from CSK, is there any other team which is run by an administrator and why? Give us a list of all contracts which will fall because of striking down Rule 6.2.4," the Supreme Court had asked BCCI on Tuesday.

BCCI clause 6.2.4 before amendment stated that: "No administrator shall have, directly or indirectly, any commercial interest in the matches and events conducted by the board." However, the clause was changed to: "No administrator shall have directly or indirectly any commercial interest in any of the events of BCCI, excluding IPL and CLT20."

The court also reserved its verdict on what action should be taken against those named in the report submitted by the Justice Mukul Mudgal Committee and whether or not N Srinivasan can contest in the BCCI election.