In an era of transparency where even judiciary is sought to be under the public eye, it is ironical that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), calling itself a private club consortium, is fighting tooth and nail its falling under the ambit of Right to Information (RTI) Act. However, the Sports Control Bill was rejected in the house after it was presented by the sports minister Mr. Ajay Maken; he was asked to redraft the same. The bill targets the sports body by asking 25% of reservation for ex sportsmen and age limit, however, the BCCI claims that since it’s a private club thus should remain untouched by this bill, though the fact is, that this very board gets a tax exemption, land from government and many such privileges. The fact that it is a secretive body remains with little transparency and practically no accountability. Many episodes from the match-fixing scandal of 2000 to the World Cup debacle in 2007 and the scandalous IPL saga, it is over and again proven that the BCCI has many skeletons in its cupboard. The devastating 4-0 loss to England is just a signal that all is not well with the Indian cricket team. What surety the crazy Indian cricketing millions have that its decisions would not cause irreparable damages to Indian cricket? And many believe that bringing transparency and accountability in its functioning will work for its benefit.
MohdZiyaullah Khan
Nagpur, M.S.