The Supreme Court today asked the BCCI to place before it a list of administrators and players having various commercial interests including in IPL and the Champions League.
The court sought the information when the Board commenced its arguments to defend the controversial amendments in the BCCI rules to do away with the conflict of interest in allowing persons with multiple hats to work as a game administrator and own a team in IPL and Champions league.
Before deciding to peruse the list, a bench comprising Justices T S Thakur and F M I Kalifulla observed "heavens won't fall if BCCI officials do not own teams".
"If the BCCI president would not own a team it would not lead to collapse of the entire IPL project and was it that it was not possible that without commercial interest IPL can't take off," the bench said adding that "the IPL also does not depend on the format that administrator with commercial interest can own a team".
"Give us the list of all contracts you (BCCI) have entered with administrators and others who have other commercial interests. What kind of contract you have entered into and with whom.
"Which of these administrators will suffer if the contracts are considered to be in commercial interest," the bench said while putting several questions that are likely to arise vis-a-vis conflict of interest issue.
The bench made the remarks after it was not satisfied with the answer of BCCI's counsel C A Sundaram that "people who wanted to own a team would not have come forward" if the rules without amendments were to continue.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for BCCI-President -in-Exile N Srinivasan said "owing a team per se is not a conflict of interest."
The apex court is examining the validity of controversial amendment 6.2.4 in BCCI rules which enables office bearers to own teams in the IPL and Champions League amidst raging debate over conflict of interest issue.
