Kumble faces 'conflict of interest' charges ; he clears the air on the row

[IKnowU]

huh? weren't we all excited when a person of Kumble's stature was elected as the President of KCA? now in less than twelve months timevwe're forced to compare his "interests" with a pure businessman like N.Srinivasan. That's sad' date=' really sad :(([/quote'] My sarcasm detector isnt on point today. But ill reply to it anyway. Kumble obviously has some sort of conflict of interest. But why should he surrender, when the big babu commits daylight robbery? BCCI changed its legislation to accommodate Srinivasan for whatever post he holds on in BCCI and including the his CSK bizziness. Just for him. The conflict of interest legislation was in BCCI's corporate policy but its completey gone/altered to suit their needs. The sooner BCCI is run by proffesionals/cricketers then politicians the better for the country, the game and the people.

[Feed]

Kumble clears air on conflict of interest row More... My company's ties with players not commercial: Kumble Indo-Asian News Service New Delhi, October 13, 2011 Former India Test captain Anil Kumble said his firm Tenvic is a player management company which does not benefit commercially from the players' success. Rather, it works on its own expense to mentor the youngsters. Kumble, who is the president of Karnataka State Cricket Association as well as the chairman of the National Cricket Academy, has been said to be running a player management firm called Tenvic that mentors and looks after the commercial interests of several Karnataka players, including S Aravind and Vinay Kumar, who are both members of the Indian One-day squad. Kumble denies any case of conflict of interest and said had he been running a talent management company, he would have gone for top cricketers and not budding talent, adding the benefit goes only to the player and not to his company. "I would like to certainly clarify that I am no player-manager, nor is my company a talent management company. That needs to be very clear. If I was a businessman, if I was looking after a talent management company, then I would go after the top international stars," Kumble said in a interview to CNN-IBN. "If I wanted to benefit, or if the company wanted to benefit, I have access to the Sachin Tendulkars, the Dhonis, the Yuvraj Singhs and everyone else, so why should I look at a youngster? That's the last thing I want. "In fact, at Tenvic, it's an expense for the company in terms of mentoring these people. We have already conducted some psychometric tests, which incur costs and that cost is to the company; it's not to the player. And the benefit of all this goes to the player, nothing to the company," he said. Kumble said if tomorrow a player identified by his firm becomes successful, he would bring no commercial benefit to his company. "I am more than happy that he goes on to play. That's all I am looking at. I am looking at the best interest of that player and hopefully he will go on and represent (India). "It's just a sports mechanism for all these players and I think that's the need of the hour. If you look at any sport, at least in cricket the world over, I don't think anybody has attempted this." One of the directors of the Kumble's company was quoted as saying: "It does not make sense for us to mentor the player if we are not going to look after his commercial interest". Kumble dismissed this as "only incidental." "It's only incidental. As of today, there has been no transaction between the company and a player wherein the company has benefited out of a player commercially. And if there is a talent management company who wants to represent Vinay, Aravind and other Indian cricketers we have, please feel free. "If that is what is against me, there is absolutely no conflict." gdUA6lX5Sf8

[Vijay.Sharma]

Jumbo has answered it really well...must watch interview, that. India's greatest Test match winner has won another game!

[Cricket Tragic]

Any link to the video?

[Trichromatic]

Any link to the video?

gdUA6lX5Sf8

[asterix]

Thanks for "clearing the air", Mr. Kumble.. Hope VK & S Aravind (and many more brilliant players from Tenvic) go on to "make it large" representing India..Whether they make it large for India or of the opposite team will be a matter of grave intrest to all of us. We've already seen the glimpses the effect of Tenvic's "mentoring" on the tailunted players.. Hope you and your friend Venky Prasad "un-earth" many more Tailuted players (especially bowlers) like these from your region..

[Cricket Tragic]

Cheers Vib.

[asterix]

Kumble cleverly skirted around the Business plan of Tenvic..He tried to project it as if he's doing some sort of charity work for the players..

[asterix]

One of the testimonials for the Tenvic site:

Dear Vasanth, Chief Evangelist and Diinesh, Chief Thinker I would like you both to know that our Cricket with the Stars match on Friday has been recognised by many of those who played as one of the best ever! It was just over too quickly! We simply cannot thank you both and Anil enough for all your help and efforts to make this cricket match not only happen, and with 5 Test Cricket Stars, but also to be played in such a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere. That is surely testimony to the relationship that Anil has with his Test cricketing friends. It was a great afternoon, and one that our clients will surely never forget. Please pass our grateful thanks to Anil from BNP Paribas, and on a personal message from me as well! Robert Barker Managing Director, Client Management Group, BNP PARIBAS SECURITIES (ASIA) LIMITED, HONG KONG http://www.tenvic.in/testimonials.html

So basically Tenvic manages small cricketing events for BIG companies in various places? :hmmm:

[Vijay.Sharma]

Yaar, I don't understand this stupidity about "conflict of interest". It is a regular practice in business that when an organization appoints a new CEO...the guy brings along with him his team over a period of a few months. It happens all the time. It even happens at the mid management level. A PM who joins a new growing organization will tend to recruit his old team. The conflict of interest thingy comes into picture when you shamelessly influence things because you have the power to. For ex - GR Viswanath selecting David Johnson, Dodda Ganesh, and Sujith Somasunder shamelessly in 96. That is serious conflict of interest. Just coz an individual has two positions in two organizations that overlap does not mean you default consider him a crook.

[Feed]

Perception, not reality, Anil The accusations of conflict of interest against him don't have to bring him down; they could provide an opportunity for him to enhance his stature More... Perception, not reality, Anil Kumble has to assess himself not by the reality of what he actually does but by the possibility, in the eyes of the public, of what he might Harsha Bhogle October 14, 2011 I won't be surprised if Anil Kumble is perplexed, even hurt, at the accusations of conflict of interest raging around him. He is a man of some standing in world cricket, his integrity has rarely been questioned. He now seeks to establish a legitimate business activity with a company that mentors and manages players. He seeks to independently influence the way Indian cricket is run by joining the administration rather than criticising from the sidelines - which is the easier, and more convenient, thing to do. He must believe that we should encourage him at what he is doing rather than paint him with a brush used for lesser men. It might well be true that Kumble has never influenced the selection of cricketers from his state, even though he is in a position to do so, and will perceive the suggestion that he has as an attack on his integrity. However, what Kumble is fighting is not the truth but the perception of it, and the possibilities that emerge from it. However honestly he thinks he separates the roles of player representation, mentor at the Royal Challengers, and head of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, he lays himself open to the charge of influencing decision-making for personal gain. And establishes a precedent for someone who might possess a different set of values. He must wonder, too, what the fuss is all about, because conflict of interest is everywhere in our cricket. But as someone recently told me: if you want to be seen to be different, you must be willing to live with a different set of rules. Kumble has to assess himself not by the reality of what he actually does but by the possibility, in the eyes of the public, of what he might. And so he has two options: He shuts down his company and works for Indian cricket for nothing. Or he quits the KSCA and Indian cricket loses a valuable asset. And so the conflict-of-interest situation has to be addressed at its roots. As long as you have power without remuneration and this fascination with honorary office-bearers, it will continue to exist. Having said that, I suspect I can understand Kumble a bit better than some because I have been in a reality-versus-perception situation myself. In 2008 I worked with the Mumbai Indians, travelled with them, was in meetings and sat in the dugout watching things unfold. My understanding of cricketers and their response to situations was greatly strengthened as a result, but by the time IPL 2009 began, I no longer had a financial or decision-making commitment with the team. When I sat in the commentary box that year, I knew I was completely unbiased, as I have been every single time in a commentary box. Yet respected voices suggested I might have an interest in MI doing well, and it hurt hugely because it was so contrary to what I believe a commentator should be. It hurt, too, that people didn't seem concerned that a former coach or cricket captain could be biased when broadcasting on a match involving a team he had been an intrinsic part of. But when I took a step back I realised I was dealing with perceptions and not reality; that those whose opinions I respected did, in fact, have a point. It is a similar situation to that of commentators contracted by a cricket board to broadcast on matches it organises. The reasons the BCCI seeks to own the telecast have more to do with overall revenues and profits, but as a sub-plot it means that as the board is the producer, production contracts have to be with it. Now if you want to do cricket in your own country, as anyone would, you necessarily have to have a contract with the BCCI. Cricket Australia and Channel 9, and the England Cricket Board and Sky Sports, do things differently. I strongly believe that, revenue considerations apart, cricket boards should not be in production; that broadcasters must have complete freedom, since that is what audiences are entitled to. Now, as with the Kumble case, a commentator may or may not toe the official line, may or may not even be asked to, but by virtue of a contract, that perception is established. And as I said, we live with perceptions not reality. So too the case with N Srinivasan of India Cements and the Chennai Super Kings. First, an admission. I hardly know Srinivasan. I have spoken to him twice, each time for no more than a couple of minutes, so it is different from Kumble, whom I have had the pleasure of knowing for about 20 years. Srinivasan can seek to create a difference between himself and India Cements, between corporate ownership and individual ownership, but perceptions may not change. As managing director he would have had to sanction funds for the purchase of CSK; the expansion of India Cements into northern markets using stars from CSK will necessarily, in public perception, be put alongside the desire to retain players after three seasons of the IPL. All over the world, definitions of conflict of interest are fuzzy. Did the war on Iraq and the imaginary weapons of mass destruction there benefit Dick Cheney and Halliburton, for example? We live in an atmosphere where conflicts of interest abound and till such time as employer-employee contracts aren't clearly defined, we will continue to have a Kumble-like situation, where the answer is not easy to find.

[Crookbond]

'I have never clamoured for power that is associated with position' http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/story/536460.html

Dear Cricket Enthusiast, Over the last few days there have been various allegations levelled against me for the responsibilities that come with my various roles. They boil down to two issues - my competence to perform these multiple roles and the potential for conflicts of interest. I didn't want to respond while we were in the midst of the CLT20 campaign. More importantly, the issues raised were of a nature that required discussion and introspection. I think now is the right time to address both the issues. I have never clamoured for power that is associated with position. However, I have been attracted to the challenge and responsibility for bringing about a change. In fact, with the exception of my business, all the other positions I have accepted have been the outcome of persuasion by well-meaning individuals. In each of my current roles, there is a significant challenge to improve a system. My role as chairman of the NCA is largely restricted to defining a vision and roadmap for the creation of a future for Indian cricket. My blueprint for the NCA is nearly ready and I am sure the NCA team (which is headed by Sandeep Patil) will deliver the goods. NCA's primary focus is to identify, groom and train support staff such as coaches, physiotherapists, trainers and analysts so that the player talent at competitive cricket is in good hands. My exposure to cricket academies all over the world and my thoughts on how cricketers approach the game served as inputs. Karnataka cricket, as one would expect, is closest to my heart. I found that my views on the need to reshape Karnataka cricket found resonance from the likes of Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad, Vijay Bharadwaj and Rahul Dravid. Not ones for sitting idly by and arm-chair critiquing, we decided to take the bull by its horns and contested elections for the KSCA. The Chinnaswamy Stadium's infrastructure was in poor shape, the decision making processes were unclear and highly centralized. Information systems were archaic and often unreliable. Sri and I divided responsibilities. As secretary, Sri handles all cricketing matters including selections. As president, I handle all infrastructure improvement projects. The changes are already apparent. The dressing rooms are today world-class. Basic facilities which were in a state of disuse have now been restored and will improve over the next few months. The TV and radio commentators' boxes have received wide appreciation. Even the press box, which some journalists don't seem to like, is a vast improvement over the previous one. The first order for 2000 ergonomic seats that will enhance spectator experience has been placed. Over the next six months we will be working on improving the ground condition and putting in a state-of-the-art drainage system that will ensure minimum cricket time lost in the event of rain and significantly improve health & condition of the outfield. We have just commenced work on the clubhouse. With the singular objective of spreading the game across Karnataka, KSCA has signed long-term agreements to introduce, upgrade and maintain infrastructure at 18 locations. We have persuaded experts on infrastructure and technical issues to be on committees advising us on such matters of selection of material, vendor and specifications. In almost every case these experts are successful professionals who are not financially dependent on their role in KSCA and are providing this service in an honorary capacity. In order to bring in financial transparency, professional accountability and systemic approach, we are putting an ERP system in place. Visible changes may be expected by the time of the next international fixture in Bangalore. It is pertinent that I provide details for contributions made in each role that I have. When I became president of KSCA, I was an IPL player for the RCB. I was the captain of the team and at that time I had the legs to continue for another couple of seasons. However, I realized that the time and effort required to revamp the KSCA will seriously impinge on my training needed to remain on top of my game as a professional cricketer. Every member of my team at KSCA has made similar adjustments in their lives as we believe in the cause of Karnataka cricket. After discussions with the management of RCB, I decided to withdraw from the auction pool and accept the position of Chief Mentor. I am responsible for strategising with the team owners during the auction process, being a part of the thinktank alongside Ray Jennings and Daniel Vettori, addressing team and player related issues with a medium to long term outlook. My sports company was incorporated in 1999. I have been in the sporting business for more than 15 years now. I also had to select a vocation which I knew enough about. Vasanth Bharadwaj (Former Table Tennis International & corporate professional), Diinesh Kumble (a Creative genius & sports analytics professional) and I started working on this shortly after I retired from international cricket. We decided to brand it 'Tenvic'. We have a grand idea and a shared passion for the transformation of all sports (not just cricket). We look to leverage the benefits and application of Sport. Tenvic is not a talent management company. The sportsperson mentoring program of Tenvic addresses a long felt need to make a professional out of a promising talent. We run a Pyschometric Assessment Test designed and customised for sportspersons. The findings are then translated into clearly defined interventions that include formal education through tie-ups with reputed universities that offer e-learning content, personality development with the assignment of a life coach, financial management and image management among others. The importance of these initiatives cannot be overstated considering that sport is no more the privilege of the urban Indian. The primary focus of the sportsperson mentoring program is to prepare an individual to face the rigours and demands of international sport. I am more than happy to invite any other talent-management company to handle the commercial interests of the concerned players. In fact, Tenvic has incurred expenses in creation and execution of the mentoring program and not realised any pecuniary gratification from this engagement. Necessary measures to address misplaced perceptions are being taken. "I categorically deny that I ever have or will ever influence selection of players at any level to derive personal interest. However, if I do spot a talent that I feel should represent India, irrespective of who is managing that player, I will not shy away from bringing it to the attention of those vested with the responsibility of selection." It has been reported that my company, Tenvic, representing players has supposedly resulted in their being selected to play for the Indian cricket team. This is both insulting and preposterous. First of all, it casts aspersions on the workings of the national selection committee, then it questions the performance of the players in question who earned their spot in the team and it doubts my integrity. I will comment only on the last. I categorically deny that I ever have or will ever influence selection of players at any level to derive personal interest. At the KSCA, by the constitution it is the Hon. Secretary who convenes all selection meetings. However, if I do spot a talent that I feel should represent India, irrespective of who is managing that player, I will not shy away from bringing it to the attention of those vested with the responsibility of selection. And I will do this without fear or favour keeping the best interest of cricket and cricketers in mind. My role at KSCA and NCA are honorary. I am aware that change comes with its share of detractors but my conviction is that such change is required. Throughout my playing career I have placed national interest above personal interest. In my mind I am clear that I am continuing to do that even after my retirement. I am a firm believer in meritocracy and it remains an integral part of my individual value system. The day I feel that I am unable to discharge justifiably my responsibility in one of these roles, I will step down like I did when I was captain of the Indian team with a certain M S Dhoni ready to take over. Now to address the larger issue of conflict of interest that arises from my company representing cricketers. Over the past few days I have had a chance to discuss conflict of interest with colleagues, journalists, players and business professionals. I have learned a lot about it. It seems to me that a conflict of interest exists in most professions and it is important how it is addressed. When a conflict of interest exists, it should be declared in the public domain and systems put in place to ensure that nobody can exploit this. Disclosures of my interest in Tenvic and its businesses have been formally communicated to the bodies concerned. In meetings where matters that I believe hold a potential conflict of interest were discussed, I have recused myself. Organisations where I hold honorary positions will confirm this. I have lived my life by setting high moral and professional standards. Now that I am in a few positions that put me in the public domain I must subject myself to a standard that satisfies not just me but others also who hold me in high regard. Finally, I have been quoted wrongly with reference to Mahatma Gandhi. What I said was that I am incapable of living the simple life of Mahatma Gandhi. Best? Anil Kumble (An edited version of this letter first appeared in the Delhi edition of Hindustan Times)

[Crookbond]

Perception, not reality, Anil

I won't be surprised if Anil Kumble is perplexed, even hurt, at the accusations of conflict of interest raging around him. He is a man of some standing in world cricket, his integrity has rarely been questioned. He now seeks to establish a legitimate business activity with a company that mentors and manages players. He seeks to independently influence the way Indian cricket is run by joining the administration rather than criticising from the sidelines - which is the easier, and more convenient, thing to do. He must believe that we should encourage him at what he is doing rather than paint him with a brush used for lesser men. It might well be true that Kumble has never influenced the selection of cricketers from his state, even though he is in a position to do so, and will perceive the suggestion that he has as an attack on his integrity. However, what Kumble is fighting is not the truth but the perception of it, and the possibilities that emerge from it. However honestly he thinks he separates the roles of player representation, mentor at the Royal Challengers, and head of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, he lays himself open to the charge of influencing decision-making for personal gain. And establishes a precedent for someone who might possess a different set of values. He must wonder, too, what the fuss is all about, because conflict of interest is everywhere in our cricket. But as someone recently told me: if you want to be seen to be different, you must be willing to live with a different set of rules. Kumble has to assess himself not by the reality of what he actually does but by the possibility, in the eyes of the public, of what he might. And so he has two options: He shuts down his company and works for Indian cricket for nothing. Or he quits the KSCA and Indian cricket loses a valuable asset. And so the conflict-of-interest situation has to be addressed at its roots. As long as you have power without remuneration and this fascination with honorary office-bearers, it will continue to exist. I strongly believe that, revenue considerations apart, cricket boards should not be in production; that broadcasters must have complete freedom, since that is what audiences are entitled to Having said that, I suspect I can understand Kumble a bit better than some because I have been in a reality-versus-perception situation myself. In 2008 I worked with the Mumbai Indians, travelled with them, was in meetings and sat in the dugout watching things unfold. My understanding of cricketers and their response to situations was greatly strengthened as a result, but by the time IPL 2009 began, I no longer had a financial or decision-making commitment with the team. When I sat in the commentary box that year, I knew I was completely unbiased, as I have been every single time in a commentary box. Yet respected voices suggested I might have an interest in MI doing well, and it hurt hugely because it was so contrary to what I believe a commentator should be. It hurt, too, that people didn't seem concerned that a former coach or cricket captain could be biased when broadcasting on a match involving a team he had been an intrinsic part of. But when I took a step back I realised I was dealing with perceptions and not reality; that those whose opinions I respected did, in fact, have a point. It is a similar situation to that of commentators contracted by a cricket board to broadcast on matches it organises. The reasons the BCCI seeks to own the telecast have more to do with overall revenues and profits, but as a sub-plot it means that as the board is the producer, production contracts have to be with it. Now if you want to do cricket in your own country, as anyone would, you necessarily have to have a contract with the BCCI. Cricket Australia and Channel 9, and the England Cricket Board and Sky Sports, do things differently. I strongly believe that, revenue considerations apart, cricket boards should not be in production; that broadcasters must have complete freedom, since that is what audiences are entitled to. Now, as with the Kumble case, a commentator may or may not toe the official line, may or may not even be asked to, but by virtue of a contract, that perception is established. And as I said, we live with perceptions not reality. So too the case with N Srinivasan of India Cements and the Chennai Super Kings. First, an admission. I hardly know Srinivasan. I have spoken to him twice, each time for no more than a couple of minutes, so it is different from Kumble, whom I have had the pleasure of knowing for about 20 years. Srinivasan can seek to create a difference between himself and India Cements, between corporate ownership and individual ownership, but perceptions may not change. As managing director he would have had to sanction funds for the purchase of CSK; the expansion of India Cements into northern markets using stars from CSK will necessarily, in public perception, be put alongside the desire to retain players after three seasons of the IPL. All over the world, definitions of conflict of interest are fuzzy. Did the war on Iraq and the imaginary weapons of mass destruction there benefit Dick Cheney and Halliburton, for example? We live in an atmosphere where conflicts of interest abound and till such time as employer-employee contracts aren't clearly defined, we will continue to have a Kumble-like situation, where the answer is not easy to find.