Vinod Rai, the SC-appointed Committee of Administrators chief, urges India's cricket icons to voice their opinion to improve administration of the game in the country
BCCI's Committee of Administrators (COA) chief Vinod Rai and Sachin Tendulkar share a lighter moment during the book launch of 'Hero' by Devendra Prabhudesai at CCI yesterday. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar
Chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) Committee of Administrators (COA), Vinod Rai has ade a fervent plea to the legends of the game — Kapil Dev, Sourav Ganguly, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar to speak up to improve the administration of cricket in the country at a time when the BCCI is in a tussle with the International Cricket Council (ICC) over its revenue sharing model.
"These legends need to need to ensure that cricket administration in this country improves, becomes objective and becomes supportive to the cricketers. It is not the cricketers who should be a support to the administration or office bearers of the BCCI. Hopefully, at some point in time, we will be seeking your support.
And there is a need for each one of us to sit down together and talk these things through," Rai said after launching 'Hero: A Biography of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar' by Devendra Prabhudesai at the Cricket Club of India's CK Nayudu Hall in Churchgate yesterday. Tendulkar too was present along with a host of former cricketers. Prabhudesai has also authored books on Sunil Gavaskar and Rahul Dravid.
"We have Diana Edulji who has been helping us. We have Prof Ratnakar Shetty who is in the BCCI, people who have been sincerely committed to it all, but do they have the freedom?" Rai asked.
Rai felt that cricket will only survive with best support in terms of logistics and administration. "We have a remarkable young team. They are aggressive, dedicated and their commitment on the field is absolutely wonderful. I don't think we are doing good service to the excellent team that we have," he added.
After being outvoted during the ICC board meeting in Dubai on Wednesday, speculation is rife that the BCCI might pull out of the upcoming Champions Trophy that will begin on June 1 in England.
Rai disclosed that he has requested the acting president CK Khanna and the secretary Amitabh Chaudhary to convene a Special General Meeting (SGM) on May 7. On the ICC event, Rai said: "India's participation at the Champions Trophy is not a closed chapter. Let the BCCI take a decision."
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