Former chief of the Indian Cricket Board’s Anti-Corruption Unit and former Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar has revealed that corruption is rampant within the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI).
Neeraj Kumar, who has investigated multiple corruption scandals, including spot-fixing, within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has blown the lid off the BCCI’s murky dealings.
He expressed reservations about the International Cricket Council (ICC) allocating a larger share to India in the financial model.
Under the ICC’s new financial model, India stands to receive 38 percent of the revenue. Neeraj Kumar stated that the ICC should not give away such a huge amount without any accountability, as there is no accountability in the BCCI. Out of the 50 corruption cases investigated by the ICC, 47 are linked to India.
Neeraj Kumar emphasized that during his three-year tenure as the Anti-Corruption Chief, the threat of spot-fixing was the highest. He also uncovered funds in the BCCI’s coffers that were not accounted for and not supported by any evidence. Cricket boards, including England and Australia, should be cautious when dealing with India.
He also disclosed that the BCCI does not invest the money received from the ICC in cricket development. Before giving funds to the BCCI, it should be questioned about what they have done for cricket. Unfortunately, despite being so wealthy, the BCCI has never accounted for the distribution of funds.
The former Anti-Corruption Chief stated that the lack of infrastructure and development work for players in the country is equivalent to not having any. Currently, the state of cricket at the grassroots level in India is appalling. If asked about infrastructure and development by the BCCI, they will have no answers.
Neeraj Kumar mentioned that in such a big country, there is only one cricket academy operating through sponsorships. The BCCI has yet to establish any major academies for cricket. From an organizational standpoint, the Indian Cricket Board is a failed institution that is out of touch with reality.