COA member Diana Edulji and Shantha Rangaswamy, BCCI’s new apex council member on Friday questioned the “unconstitutional” appointment of the support staff of the India women’s cricket team in a letter to board CEO Rahul Johri. Saba Karim, GM (Cricket Operations) who is in charge of women’s cricket, has come under the scanner for these appointments. This came in the news a day after the Hemlata Kala-led women’s selection panel wrote to the CEO, saying that they were kept out of the hiring process and former India captains Edulji and Rangaswamy both have bashed on the unfair treatment to the national team.
“I am shocked reading the article quoting the e-mail from women selectors to you regarding the sham process being followed for selection of the video analyst. It is even more worrisome that the person Mr Pushkar Sawant, wanted by Saba Karim (GM cricket operations) and NCA is already booked on the flight to West Indies. The whole process looks like an eye wash,” Diana Edulji, who is set to resign with two other COA members, wrote in the letter.
Selectors even claimed that they didn’t have any idea about the appointment of women team’s bowling and fielding coach. However, they were only asked to conduct interviews of video analyst and it will end on Friday. Both Diana Edulji and Shantha Rangaswamy said that the rules have been violated even for the video analyst’s role as well although the applications were invited in this case.
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NCA bowling coach Narendra Hirwani and T Dilip are reportedly travelling to the West Indies, as bowling and fielding coach respectively.
“I have also received an e-mail from Shantha Rangaswamy, nominated member on the BCCI apex council, which has been marked to you and the selectors, wherein she has stated that these things are been done deliberately to accommodate persons chosen by the powers that be and not following the established practises. A very serious allegation,” Edulji wrote.
“The article and the mail cast serious aspersions and doubts about the dealings of the cricket operations especially Saba who is heading it and despite repeated instructions by COA, he is defying and wanting to place persons to these positions without due process,” she added.
“I am marking this to my colleagues so that they are aware of what is happening behind the COA’s back. I will not be giving my consent to this sham interview that is taking place today for the video analyst as Mr Pushkar Sawant has already been nominated for the tour,” added Edulji. “This is the national Indian Team that is travelling and such shabby treatment is being doled out to them. I wonder if you would do this to the men’s team.”
However, Karim said: “Since the mail has been addressed to the CEO, it is best to speak to him.”
