Indian Premier League: No 'Conflict of Interest' for Sourav Ganguly, Insists Shashank Manohar

Board of Control for Cricket in India president Shashank Manohar said that there is no 'Conflict of Interest' as far as former India captain Sourav Ganguly is concerned. (Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals' Loss is Pune and Rajkot's Gain)

After industrialist Sanjiv Goenka's company New Rising bought the bid for Pune team, questions on potential Conflict of Interest were raised as Ganguly is a Governing Council member as well as co-owner of Indian Super League (ISL) football team Atletico de Kolkata.

One of the ATK owners is Sanjiv Goenka. "As far as I understand, Sourav Ganguly has no Conflict of Interest. If he would have been involved with any team (IPL), then it would have been a different case. But I think a lot of people are not understanding what Conflict of Interest means," BCCI president Manohar said. (Board of Control for Cricket in India to Gain Rs 332 Crore in Two Years, Says Niranjan Shah)

"Suppose I am lawyer and I have a client. If that client later at some point gets associated with BCCI, how is it a Conflict of Interest. It can only be a Conflict of Interest if someone in his position show bias. I think this is now being taken to an absurd level," Manohar said.

However he said that this is his view and now that BCCI has appointed an independent ombudsman (Retd Justice AP Shah), he will decide on what are the potential cases of Conflict of Interest. (Indian Premier League: Board of Control for Cricket in India Names Pune, Rajkot as New Cities)

He also said that he has spoken to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis regarding the issue of having a tie-up with the police as "they have the powers to intercept calls and arrest if necessary from any part of the country."

"If required we are ready to pay an amount," Manohar said.

Even another Governing Council member and Maharashtra Cricket Association supremo Ajay Shirke was asked questions whether his presence would be looked as a Conflict of Interest.

"I don't think so. Please explain where is the Conflict of Interest. Yes, tomorrow if I write to the BCCI president asking Pune franchise to continue beyond two years, that could be the case of Conflict of Interest in my capacity as Maharashtra Cricket Association president," Shirke told the reporters.