Can't understand logic: Rangaswamy on having to depose before BCCI ethics officer

“I do not understand the logic,” Shantha Rangaswamy, a member of now-defunct Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), said on Friday after being asked to depose before the BCCI ethics officer Justice (retired) D.K. Jain to explain the conflict of interest allegations leveled against her.

The former India captain confirmed that the hearing is set to take place in Mumbai on December 28. "Yes, I have been asked to depose on the 28th but I do not understand the logic behind it," Rangaswamy, the female representative on the BCCI apex council, told Women's CricZone.

The ethics officer served a notice to the CAC, comprising Kapil Dev, Aunshuman Gaekwad, and Rangaswamy, asking the members of the conflict of interest that was pushed by Sanjeev Gupta, a life member of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association. Gupta had leveled the charges, saying, Rangaswamy had dual roles in the CAC and Indian Cricketers Association (ICA). The 65-year-old had surrendered to the Lodha Committee’s recommendation of one person, one post, and tendered her resignation from both CAC and director of ICA after receiving the conflict of interest notice earlier in September.

Kapil made it clear that he will not attend the hearing as the committee is non-existent, while Gaekwad is likely to appear in front of D.K. Jain. When Rangaswamy was asked whether she will appear in person, the veteran of 16 Tests and 19 ODIs said, "We (Gaekwad and I) cannot ignore it as we are part of the Apex Council. I have requested BCCI to arrange my traveling else I will be available via Skype only.”

The three-member committee was formed to appoint the head coach of the senior national team. The CAC had named W.V Raman as a women’s team head coach following the war of words between ODI captain Mithali Raj and former coach Ramesh Powar after Mithali was dropped from the semifinal against England during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2018 in the Caribbean.

Earlier today, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly stated that a new CAC will be formed in the next couple of days to appoint a new selection panel on three-year tenure. Conflict of interest hogged too much limelight that it questioned several celebrated cricketers holding more than one role. The Supreme Court is likely to hear the conflict of interest issue on January 13.