BCCI to clip Sunny's wings?

NAGPUR: Just a few days ago, Sunil Gavaskar was eased out of the till-then lucrative governing council of the Indian Premier League. In the near future, he might well find himself out of BCCI's commentary panel as well. As if that is not enough, he might have to vacate the top post in the board's technical committee too.

The former India captain has been the most influential voice in Indian cricket - if not the world itself - for a long, long time. Now, it seems he's in danger of becoming persona non grata after rubbing certain powerful board officials the wrong way in recent times.

President Shashank Manohar may have refused to speculate on Gavaskar's role in the Kochi coup, saying it was an internal matter. But it is becoming apparent that at least certain officials are not happy with this association.

More than anything else, they see it as a clear case of conflict-of-interest as it is being whispered that Gavaskar has been assisting the Gaikwads right from Day One, even while he was on the governing council.

"He's one of the main reasons why the Kochi franchise is unable to resolve its internal differences," a board official told TOI. "The Gaikwads had been refusing to dilute their stake because they didn't want to lose control over the team. Now they want him to be director of cricket operations," he added.

As per the official's assessment, the rest of the investors are not happy with this equation. "The RSW investors (other than Gaikwads) are well-moneyed. Investors like Rosy Blue and Anchor Earth have vast resources. They're coming into this (IPL) because they like the glamour involved. They are saying 'if we're pooling in the money, why shouldn't we have the control'."

It is also believed that the investors want to have their man to run the team.
The board is, however, not irked with Gavaskar just because of the Kochi imbroglio. "He wants a finger in every pie in Indian cricket, without actually owning up responsibility. The board has given him a long rope all the way. But it is clear that there is misuse of power. You can't have personal agendas like this," he added.