Rahul Dravid yet to take charge of National Cricket Academy because of 'conflict of interest'

New Delhi: A potential conflict of interest has prevented Rahul Dravid from taking charge as the Head of Cricket at the National Cricket Academy, a position he was supposed to join on 1 July. Dravid is also a paid employee of India Cements and as per the BCCI constitution, an individual can’t hold multiple positions at the same time, bringing the former India captain under the ambit of conflict of interest. [caption id=“attachment_3716143” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Rahul Dravid. AFP[/caption]

“Dravid is yet to take charge of the NCA. He will probably have to resign from India Cements to join NCA,” a BCCI official told PTI.

Last month, the BCCI’s ethics officer D K Jain had ruled against V V S Laxman after a Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association member Sanjeev Gupta alleged conflict of interest over the former India batsman holding multiple positions. Gupta has alleged the same against Dravid in a complaint written to Jain and Committee of Administrators (COA) on 30 June. Former India captain and junior coach Dravid has been offered a two-year contract to helm NCA in Bengaluru. As Head of Cricket, Dravid will groom the next generation of cricketers and chart out a roadmap for junior cricket. He will also monitor the upcoming women cricketers besides appointing the coaching staff at NCA and the zonal cricket academies. The batting great will also spearhead NCA’s rehab programme for injured cricketers. The new role would mean that he won’t be able to travel with India A and U-19 teams as he used to. Former India pacer Paras Mhambrey and Abhay Sharma remain part of the junior team support staff.