Kapil Dev has been cleared of conflict of interest charges by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ethics officer D.K. Jain.

According to reliable sources, the former India captain, who was a member of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) that retained Ravi Shastri as Team India head coach, is now cleared to head the panel again. That will mean some respite for president Sourav Ganguly, who has been struggling to find suitable candidates for the high-profile committee.

Kapil though wasn’t present during the hearing at the Cricket Centre in Mumbai on Saturday.

Kapil’s former colleagues on the CAC, Anshuman Gaekwad and Shanta Rangaswamy, have also been cleared. Both, however, are the Indian Cricketers’ Association’s representatives on the apex council and hence won’t be eligible to be part of the CAC again.

“They have been relieved of all charges of conflict. Kapil can head the CAC again,” a senior functionary said.

Gaekwad was the only person present at the hearing along with complainant Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association life member Sanjeev Gupta, besides Jain and BCCI chief executive Rahul Johri.

Gaekwad also seemed to be relieved. “The discussion was very cordial. Mr Gupta was going by the rule book and what Justice RM Lodha Committee had suggested, but he doesn’t have enough information on what is actually happening,” the former India opener told The Telegraph.

The CAC is an honorary post and World Cup-winning captain Kapil had earlier made it clear that conflict of interest should not apply to those who are not being paid for their services. Gaekwad too, had shared Kapil’s views.

The BCCI’s office-bearers had met on Thursday but failed to zero in on suitable candidates for the CAC.

“Sourav has been keen on big names in the CAC since it’s an elite panel. Nobody wants to get involved in fresh controversies and will give their consent only if they get the all clear from the Board. Now that Kapil has been cleared, he should be willing to head the CAC once again,” the senior functionary said.

Former India captains Gundappa Viswanath and Diana Edulji have also been approached to be part of the CAC.

The formation of the CAC has become important since the terms of two national selectors — chairman MSK Prasad and Gagan Khoda, who were appointed in 2015 — have expired. The Board wants a new selection committee in place before the squad for the New Zealand tour is picked.

Meanwhile, it has been learnt that KVP Rao, the BCCI assistant general manager cricket operations, has been asked to look after the administrative part of the National Cricket Academy as a stop-gap arrangement. This became necessary after the resignation of Toofan Ghosh, who was the chief operating officer of the NCA, earlier this month.