What’s the story?
Team India coach Anil Kumble has reportedly drawn the ire of senior office bearers within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) following his earnest appeal to allow Virat Kohli’s team to participate in the upcoming edition of the Champions Trophy.
“It is the institution which decides, and not one individual. Kumble writing to the board about his decision of wanting to play in the Champions Trophy was uncalled for. He had no business in doing this,” a senior BCCI office-bearer was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
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Meanwhile, another senior board member echoed the same sentiments and warned, “Kumble is going to be on a sticky wicket for this act once the Board members take control of BCCI. It is just a matter of time.”
When asked if BCCI can still withdraw the Indian team from the tournament, the functionary claimed, “The visa procedure (for United Kingdom) will take time, while the option to withdraw is always there.”
The Background
Earlier, several members of the Indian team had expressed their desire to take part in the 8-team event. As a result, coach Kumble went on to carry their message to the BCCI. He urged them to resolve their financial issues with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and clear the way for the “Men in Blue” to defend their Champions Trophy title.
The heart of the matter
The relations between BCCI and ICC took a turn for the worse after the Indian board found themselves outvoted on the controversial ‘Big Three’ model. Despite ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar’s compensatory offer of $100 million, the senior office bearers did not relent and threatened to revoke the Members’ Participation Agreement (MPA).
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Even as his former team mates such as Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid also implored BCCI to permit the Indian side to participate in the Champions Trophy, Kumble's plea seems to have rubbed the board the wrong way. The underlying reason behind the development could stem from the fact that the coach had knocked the doors of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) and not the pre-existing board members.
What’s next?
The all important Special General Meeting (SGM) is set to take place on Sunday. Ahead of the meet, acting BCCI President confirmed that India will indeed take part in the tournament and the squad for the same should be announced on Monday.
Author’s Take
Having headed the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and the ICC Cricket Committee in the recent past, Kumble is quite adept at handling administrative matters. BCCI‘s office-bearers need to shed their ego and acknowledge that the Indian coach has only reflected the views of the players.
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