The BCCI’s ombudsman-cum-ethics officer Justice DK Jain served notices to former India batsmen Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman on Wednesday for their alleged conflict of interest for being part of IPL franchises’ support staffs as well as serving as members of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC). Justice Jain has given them time until April 28 to file their written responses. While Laxman is Sunrisers Hyderabad’s mentor, the Mumbai Indians website mentions Tendulkar as their icon. This is the third case of conflict of interest allegation being filed during this IPL after former India captain Sourav Ganguly was summoned by Justice Jain for his triple role as the CAB president, CAC member as well as advisor of Delhi Capitals. The three former batsmen were part of the CAC that had picked the India coach Ravi Shastri in July 2017 in their last meeting.
In his notices sent to Tendulkar and Laxman, Justice Jain also stated that he had also asked the BCCI to file their response by April 28. “A complaint has been received by the Ethics Officer of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (for short “the BCCI”) under Article 39 of the Rules and Regulations of the BCCI, regarding certain acts, allegedly constituting as “conflict of interest” on your part,” Justice Jain wrote in the notices. “You may file your written response to the accompanying Complaint, supported by duly executed affidavit, on or before 28th April 2019, with the Office of the Ethics Officer, BCCI, Mumbai for further proceedings in the matter.”
The ombudsman stated that their failure to respond to the notices would result in them not getting any further opportunity to file a response. “On your failure to respond to the present notice, the Ethics Officer shall be constrained to proceed in your absence, without giving any further opportunity of filing a response to the Complaint, to you. The complaints were filed by Sanjeev Gupta, a life member of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association.