I didn't want to be just a figure head for NCA: Anil Kumble

Anil Kumble‘s resignation as the chairman of National Cricket Academy on Monday raked up several questions and speculations. His decision was termed as a ‘conflict of interest’ by some of the members in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

However, on Tuesday, when Kumble spoke to the media at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here in Bangalore, his stand on quitting clearly shows the BCCI in poor light.

Kumble confirmed that his decision to resign was because of the board’s disagreement with his plans for NCA. “The reason for my resignation is that, I had put together a three year plan. It obviously didn’t see much alignment with the rest of the members in the board. At that stage, I felt that there is no point in staying just as a figure head for NCA. So, I think it’s best for someone else to take over.”

It’s been learnt that Kumble took some of the board members head-on during their recent meeting in Chennai.

Though the board might want to brush aside the issue by branding Kumble as someone with a conflict of interest as he is running a player management company called Tenvic, its important for the Board to realise that his decision could be a huge set back for them.

At this point when NCA is mostly known as a rehab centre for national players, Kumble’s vision and initiatives could have brought about a refreshing change. It is not only an oppurtunity lost for the board, but Kumble’s decision could also bring a lot of negative publicity for them.

When asked why the board was not keen on complying with his ideas, he said, “I don’t know why. I was very keen about my role and that’s why I had made a three-year plan when it’s not in alignment with others in the board, it’s best that I move on and make way for someone else to take charge.”

For now, BCCI has named MP Pandove, the vice president of BCCI, as the stand-in chairman until they find a suitable replacement.