Former India spinner Maninder Singh says that if the allegations of Dhoni holding shares in the firm turn out to be true then it has to go down as 'direct conflict of interest.' "But who do you expect to stop the rot when the BCCI president has gone against everyone who has stood up for the game. You have a selector being removed who voiced his opinion against Dhoni the captain. Then a curator, who has worked for 40 years, is also removed because he didn't provide a Test match pitch to the board and the captain's content. Basically, the president has been saving the captain who is also a vice-president in his company," Maninder said, referring to the ouster of Mohinder Amarnath from the selection committee last year and the fiasco over the Eden Gardens pitch where India badly lost to England in 2012.
Former India opener and Delhi & District Cricket Association vice-president Chetan Chauhan echoed the same concern. "Ethically, this is not correct. It seems to be trickling down from the president. Not only Dhoni, the board should also talk to Anil Kumble who too has a firm. The board officials need to take some hard decisions and make it clear what business the players and officials can float of their own. Or else, there will always be a probability of the powers being misused," Chauhan said, adding that the treatment meted out to Amarnath was grossly unfair.
Another former India player, Madan Lal believes that BCCI members and captains have 'always enjoyed great power' but it's up to the selectors to stand up for their job. At the same time, he doesn't believe that Dhoni could have manipulated team selection. "It has been the norm that the board officials and captains have their say in team selection. Captains have always suggested young players how to go about their dealings off the field. In Dhoni's case, it looks a little odd because he is allegedly a part of players' management firm and also the India captain.
"But there is no question of conflict of interest here. All the three players in question have performed. Had it been a Rohit Sharma, then you could have pointed fingers. As far as selectors are concerned, it's up to individuals who give in to the pressures of the board and the captain," Lal, who was a selector when Jagmohan Dalmiya was the power centre in BCCI and Sourav Ganguly was captaining India, told TOI.
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