JOIN USSrinivasan steps aside for now, Dalmiya to run BCCI.
N Srinivasan on Sunday successfully stonewalled attempts to dethrone him, but agreed to “step aside” as Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president till the enquiry into the spot-fixing and betting charges during Indian Premier League (IPL) 6 “is completed.”
At an intense Working Committee meeting here, it was decided that former BCCI and International Cricket Council chief Jagmohan Dalmiya would handle the day-to-day affairs of the board during this period. However, the BCCI didn’t officially term Dalmiya interim president because, as per its constitution, the Working Committee doesn’t have the authority to make such an appointment.
“N Srinivasan announced that he will not discharge his duties as the president of the board till such time that the probe is completed. Till such time, Jagmohan Dalmiya will conduct the day-to-day affairs of the board,” the BCCI said in a statement after the three-hour meeting.
Under immense pressure ever since his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan’s name emerged in the spot-fixing scandal, Srinivasan was supposed to be on shaky ground as he headed to the meeting, but the Chennai strongman again showed his survival instincts by emerging largely unscathed.
BCCI vice-president and IPL Governing Council member Arun Jaitley, who attended the meeting through a video-conference, along with joint secretary Anurag Thakur, proposed the names of former BCCI president Shashank Manohar and Cricket Association of Bengal president Dalimya for the post of interim chief.
However, Srinivasan maintained that a person from outside the BCCI fold—Manohar in this case—shouldn’t be considered for the post, choosing to second Dalmiya for the role.
Srinivasan also claimed that no one had asked for his resignation, in contrast to the stormy build-up to the meeting, with BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale, treasurer Ajay Shirke and IPL chief Rajeev Shukla tendering their resignations.
The members requested Jagdale and Shirke to withdraw their resignations. “The committee expressed full confidence in Sanjay Jagdale and Ajay Shirke, and requested them to withdraw their resignations in the larger interest of the board,” the statement added.
However, both Jagdale and Shirke said they were not interested in coming back to the BCCI fold, particularly since Srinivasan had been successful in warding off the pressure to quit, effectively maintaining his grip on the Indian cricket board, at least till the Annual General Body meeting in September this year.
Shirke, who surprisingly attended the meeting as a special invitee, asserted his stance. “I am not going to come back. The meeting should have discussed more key issues, and such an arrangement would not work legally,” said Shirke.
However, Srinivasan later said that both Shirke, president of the Maharashtra Cricket Association, and Jagdale would announce their final decisions on Monday.
The meeting also did not name any replacement for Jagdale in the three-member panel that was constituted to inquire into the betting charges against Gurunath Meiyappan, the owners of Rajasthan Royals and India Cements—owners of Chennai Super Kings.
Apart from Jagdale, the other members of the panel were Justice R Balasubramanian, a former judge at the Madras High Court, and T Jayaram Chouta, a former judge at the Madras and Karnataka High Courts.
What the Board said:
* N Srinivasan announced that he will not discharge his duties as the president of the board till such time that the probe is completed. Till such time, Jagmohan Dalmiya will conduct the day-to-day affairs of the board
* The (working) committee expressed full confidence in (BCCI secretary) Sanjay Jagdale and (BCCI treasurer) Ajay Shirke, and requested them to withdraw their resignations in the larger interest of the board
Jaitleyspeak
“There will be an inquiry.. the charges, being criminal, will be investigated. There are no charges against Srinivasan. Srinivasan will be at arms-length-distance till such time the inquiry is over.”
Quote hanger
“I am not going to come back (as BCCI treasurer). The meeting should have discussed more key issues, and such an arrangement would not work legally.”
Ajay Shirke
“If they (Jagdale and Shirke) come back they will discharge their duties as Secretary and Treasurer. If they do not, then the responsibility of discharging the duties will be on me.”
Jagmohan Dalmiya
“I categorically asked for his (Srinivasan's) resignation. I said this sham will not satisfy the public. I said he should resign and come back if exonerated. He (Srinivasan) said he will step aside but not resign at any cost.”
I S Bindra, Punjab Cricket Association President