Kohli, Shastri were told of saga but CoA took final call to withhold Shami contract

Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday announced a new contract system and compensation structure for Indian cricket. In the senior men’s category, contracts were divided into four grades where players were slotted into four different categories.

However, after Hasin Jahan, wife of Mohammed Shami, claimed that the Indian cricket team pacer is having multiple extra-marital affairs, the BCCI withhold his name from the grade-wise list.

The Bengal pacer was supposed to be included in the list of players, but a call from Committee of Administrators (CoA) asked the national cricket body to put Shami’s contract on standby, even as Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri were made aware of the situation.

“It was a call from COA on Wednesday asking BCCI to put Shami’s name on hold till further decision that cleared the air. BCCI is in a bit of dilemma because there is a question of ethics involved here. Anyone can say that it’s purely a personal issue and has nothing to do with his professional life. That argument can be taken,” a senior board official was quoted as saying by DNA.

The report further stated that ethics of the situation were deeply understood before taking a final call on the matter.

"Some might accuse BCCI that a player has been rewarded despite such serious allegations, including an attempt to murder, are being levelled against him by his wife,” he added.

The source further related the UP-born pacer’s case with that of Ben Stokes’ Bristol nightclub brawl incident that saw the England all-rounder being omitted from an important series like the Ashes.

“This was despite Stokes being named the vice-captain for such a high-profile series like Ashes. And the charges against him was of causing ‘bodily harm’. But here in the case of Shami, his wife is alleging an attempt to murder and we all know that it’s a non-bailable offence as per the law,” the official continued.

The entire saga also puts Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Delhi Daredevils in a fix over Shami's availability for the upcoming campaign.

“We’re deliberating on this sensitive issue and once we reach a conclusion, we can comment on it,” concluded the BCCI official.