Who is calling the shots in BCCI? ask IPL franchises

Who's running the Indian cricket board? It's a question almost every Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise is asking these days. Not just the franchises, this is also being discussed by state cricket associations, corporate houses which sponsor the game at various levels, potential investors who are always on the lookout to participate in commercial tie-ups and others who like to keep themselves informed about what goes on within the corridors of the secretive BCCI.

Most aren't convinced it's Jagmohan Dalmiya, the 75-year-old veteran cricket administrator, who's struggling with his health. "There's just too much at stake right now and the point is nobody knows who's calling the shots. A few days ago the Supreme Court panel had observed that he's not in perfect physical and mental condition," said a leading franchise official.

TOI had exclusively reported some days ago that the Supreme Court-appointed three judge committee members, while looking into allegations of spot-fixing in IPL last month, had found Dalmiya's speech to be 'incoherent' and 'incomprehensible' during a meeting with the committee.

At the moment, there's much to be done in the BCCI, and the actions will have cascading effect on all parties concerned. "The last eight years, there was always clarity on who is making the decisions. First it was Lalit (Modi), then Shashank (Manohar) and later Srini (N Srinivasan). In fact, when they were in control, there was no doubting that nobody else in BCCI or outside called the shots. It was always them," said a franchise official.

"Now, we don't know whose is the leading voice. Whatever we come to know is only through the media. Every bit of information streaming out seems to be only source-based," he added.

The IPL franchise owners have not had a single meeting yet with the BCCI or the IPL governing council post the 2015 edition of the tournament. There's been no workshop either and they haven't been told yet if the governing council would interact with the franchise owners post the July 19 emergency meeting.

"Earlier, there were men who were solely responsible for all decisions made but at no point has the BCCI thought of franchises as equal stakeholders in IPL," he says.

Sources say it is Dalmiya's son Avishek, BCCI secretary and BJP youth leader Anurag Thakur and the lawyer in the current BCCI regime, Ushanath Banerjee, who are responsible for all decisions. Media reports have said that Dalmiya may be asked to step down as president in September.