Relation to selector puts Rathour’s U-19 batting coach job in danger

New Delhi, February 10 

The BCCI is set to appoint former Test opener Vikram Rathour as batting coach of the India A and Under-19 teams but since he is a relative of U-19 national selector Ashish Kapoor, the recruitment may lead to a conflict of interest controversy. 

It has been learnt that GM (Cricket Operations) Saba Karim got the green light for the temporary appointment of Rathour and wicketkeeping coach Vijay Yadav from the Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai as “additional staff for the A and U19 teams”.

However, Kapoor is Rathour’s brother-in-law and as per the new BCCI constitution, it could lead to a direct case of conflict of interest.

“India A and U19 coach Rahul Dravid had specifically recommended two names — Rathour as batting coach and Vijay Yadav as fielding coach — as additional staff for the A team,” a senior BCCI official said. “The appointment is on a temporary basis and they will also work in the U-19 setup during the quadrangular series and also at the NCA. He (Rathour) will also be Rest of India coach in Irani Cup,” the official added.

The U-19 quadrangular series will have India A and B teams along with South Africa and Afghanistan.

The question being raised is whether Karim had apprised CoA chief Rai about the complications that could arise due to Rathour’s appointment even if he was Dravid’s recommendation.

While Karim was unavailable for comment, a senior official raised a few questions about the process.

“It is not Rai’s duty to know who is related to whom. Did Karim intimate him about a potential conflict of interest situation? That’s the first question,” the official said.

“The second question here is whether due diligence was followed by Karim while appointing Rathour and Yadav. Were proper interviews conducted on basis of advertisement on the board’s website?” he added.

“The last and final point is that if he will work on a temporary basis with the U-19s and he is also supposed to work at the NCA as a batting consultant, does that mean a separate batting coach (for NCA) will be appointed later?”  

Rathour, a prolific run-getter for Punjab and later Himachal Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy, played a handful of Tests in 1996 in England and South Africa.

He was also a national selector till 2016. During his tenure, a couple of inspired selections happened in the senior national team, including Punjab’s Barinder Sran and Himachal Pradesh’s Rishi Dhawan. — PTI

Conflict of interest

• Apparently, India A and U19 coach Rahul Dravid had specifically recommended Rathour’s name as batting coach. The appointment is on a temporary basis 
• However, U-19 national selector Ashish Kapoor is Rathour’s brother-in-law and as per the new BCCI constitution, it could lead to a direct case of conflict of interest