It is no secret that the BCCI is the richest cricketing sports body in the world with its massive earnings from the exploits of the Indian cricket team. The BCCI earns a massive sum of its revenues from the broadcasting rights of both the Indian Cricket Team’s matches and the Indian Premier League.
With India’s massive population and its unquenchable thirst for more cricket action, the BCCI ensures that its coffers are always filled. In April 2016, the board appointed Rahul Johri as its first-ever CEO. As CEO, his prime responsibilities include ‘smooth functioning of operations, stakeholder management, and building robust strategies for further promoting the sport.’
The BCCI top brass currently comprises of ex-cricketers and politics and thus the introduction of a person like Johri at the top-level was to bring a breath of fresh air into the system. Johri had previously served as Discovery Networks Asia Pacific's executive vice-president and general manager for South Asia but his attempt to bring ‘corporate culture’ into the BCCI has been vehemently turned down.
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As reported by the New Indian Express, Johri proposed to order 50 Italian-tailored suits worth 2.5 Lakh each for the players and BCCI’s top executives, but his proposal was met with a stern rejection from both BCCI’s old guard as well as the President Anurag Thakur.
On November 19th, one day prior to a Supreme Court hearing, Johri had floated his proposal through an e-mail marked to Anurag Thakur as well as BCCI’s secretary Ajay Shirke and other staff members.
“The Indian team is in a serious need of new sets of formal attire. The cost per set will be approximately Rs 2.5 lakh. And we intend to order 50 sets. Request your go-ahead,” he wrote in the body of the mail.
However, due to the ongoing tussle with the Lodha Committee, the board’s hands are tied and they are not allowed to enter into any new contracts. Plus, it would bring unwanted attention to the board, the last thing it needs at the moment.
BCCI’s legal counsel Abhinav Mukherjee clarified the issue, stating, “I suggest that this issue needs to be verified with the Lodha Committee. The committee, in its report, stated that the vendor should be appointed through a tender process. But it seems this is done by a private negotiation. Ideally, we should refer this to the committee,”
Johri reports to Anurag Thakur and it is the President who would have the final word on the matter.
“We are not going ahead with this”
A simple one-liner was enough to silence this issue for the moment.
Further, Johri also drew the ire of the old guard of the BCCI who found this request very odd. “There is a big difference between corporate culture and BCCI culture. On November 19, an email was sent — that too for a suit. And on November 20, there was a BCCI case hearing in Supreme Court. Nobody is saying no to the new idea, but one should understand the situation the board is in before coming up with any suggestions” a member of the BCCI was quoted as saying.
However, the Indian cricket team would look seriously cool in suits.
For another day, then.
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