Calcutta: “Severely embarrassed” by the Vankenna Chamundeshwaranath episode, an influential section within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) feels that a full-time manager, on the lines of what is followed in several countries, must now be appointed.

That mere lip-service on the issue should come to an end.

A former first-class cricketer, Chamundeshwaranath, who’d been the Team India manager during the recent World T20, is facing very serious allegations.

He has already been sacked by the Andhra Cricket Association as its secretary, but remains on the BCCI’s marketing committee, which is headed by Sharad Pawar.

The allegations, which revolve around financial impropriety and the harassment of women cricketers, surfaced after India’s early exit from the World T20. Chamundeshwaranath, in fact, was still in England at that time.

“We don’t know the truth as yet, but the allegations have severely embarrassed the BCCI and I’m convinced that the time has come for us to appoint a professional manager... So far, off and on, we’ve only been talking about having one,” a top official told The Telegraph.

He added: “We could have a full-time manager and, at the same time, continue to oblige people from the BCCI too... Those from within may have a different designation...”

Another key official said much the same thing. “There are lessons to be learnt from the Chamundeshwaranath affair,” is one of the points he made.

Managerships have come to be seen as a “reward” for being on the right side of those who call the shots in the BCCI. There have, of course, also been occasions when a managership was offered as an inducement to switch sides!

Such wheeling-dealings have little to do with cricket, but won’t come as a surprise to those familiar with much of the goings-on in the BCCI.

Australia and South Africa are known to have very organised boards, but even Pakistan and Sri Lanka, despite regular changes at the board-level, have professional managers.

Indeed, Stephen Bernard and Goolam Rajah have been around for years and both have contributed to the success of Australia and South Africa, respectively.

The players trust them and the managers, in turn, ensure nothing is out of place at any venue in any part of the world. Bottomline is that they take some of the pressure off the Ricky Pontings and Graeme Smiths.

As for Pakistan, Yawar Saeed has made a comeback and Brendon Kuruppu has been the Sri Lanka manager for some time now.

In India, the manager changes with each tour and, when there’s a series at home, “liaison officers” keep changing with the change in opposition.

The musical chairs-like arrangement has often led to managers/liaison officers struggling to arrange for proper bowlers at nets and, worse, sweating to get the required quantity of appropriate balls!

Could seem a small matter, but it makes a big difference.