 "BCCI president Srinivasan may step down tomorrow")
Accepting that it is near impossible to remove a president of the Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI), members and officebearers of affluent and influential body are throwing morality at current president N Srinivasan to get him to resign voluntarily.
He might oblige tomorrow.
In politics that has nothing to do with party affiliation and everything to do with patronage of the game and players in their respective states, politician members of the BCCI are doing what they are best at: creating pressure so that Srinivasan’s exit causes an early vacancy which can be filled quickly and it can be business as usual as soon as possible for the organisation.
“Consider BCCI vice president Rajiv Shukla’s statement. He has not really asked Srinivasan to resign. He has only asked him to step aside while investigations are on”, said BCCI member privy to politics in the organisation. He attributed the statement made by Union Minister Farooq Abdullah in support of Srinivasan, to the fact that BCCI gave the Jammu and Kashmir cricket board, Rs 25 crore to develop cricket in the state, Abdullah’s home state.
“Rajeev Shukla has only reiterated what I had said on Sunday in Kolkata that I will keep away from inquiry process. The BCCI inquiry commission has the power to impose sanctions and punishment and I have nothing to do with the commission, it is independent," Srinivasan told reporters.
Union minister Sharad Pawar who is also the former BCCI and ICC President was of the opinion that N Srinivasan should quit from the top post and the ministry of home affairs should probe all the matches played in IPL this season.
The chief of NCP said that cricket lovers of India were hurt because of the scandal and he was saddened that spot fixing took place in IPL. “I never thought spot-fixing would happen in India and that it wouldn’t have happened if I was in charge of the BCCI,” said Sharad Pawar while talking to reporters
The BCCI treasurer and Maharashtra Cricket Association President, Ajay Shirke, talking to television channels, was confident that Srinivasan would come out clean. He also stressed that no cracks were developing within the Board and all members were entitled to their own opinions. Shirke also said that BCCI probe has its limitations and the result of police investigations should be awaited before further comment.
To impeach an elected President of BCCI, at least 9 members should send a request to the secretary. If the request is accepted, this resolution has to be voted. At least 2/3rd of the total 30 members have to vote in favour of the resolution.
“BCCI is inquiring into allegations of match and spot fixing. As there is a conflict of interest in this inquiry, therefore BCCI President should tender his resignation on moral grounds, pending the outcome of the inquiry,” the sports ministry said in a statement.
Srinivasan’s two year term comes to an end in September 2013 and he will be eligible for a one-year extension if nobody decides to contest against him. The next in line to become BCCI President is Arun Jaitley, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha.
Theoretically, Jaitley will get a chance to become BCCI President only in 2014 after Srinivasan retires. The BJP leader is Vice President of BCCI at present and also a member of the disciplinary committee which has to decide the fate of Sreesanth and two other cricketers who are in police custody.
Among the BCCI members who have come out against Srinivasan is Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia while Jagmohan Dalmiya and Farooq Abdullah have supported Srinivasan as BCCI President. Lalu Prasad, as always has a view that is sui generis and has to do with the structure of cricket promotion organisations in Bihar.
In April, the Bihar Assembly passed the Bihar Sports (registration, affiliation and regulation of sports associations) Bill, 2013 amid vociferous protests by the RJD members.
Lalu Prasad is currently the president of the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA), which is affiliated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). But there are two other parallel associations fighting a prolonged legal battle to wrest control from him in the state.
The new legislation empowers the state government to regulate all the sports bodies and makes it mandatory for the associations to get themselves registered first with the government.
The Bill seeks to put to an end the domination of politicians, including Lalu, over different associations of games. This has apparently left the RJD livid. Calling it a draconian bill which will push sports back to 50 years, RJD’s leader of the Opposition in the state assembly Abdul Bari Siddiqui said that no sports association would accept it. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has contested this.
Lalu Prasad thinks by supporting Srinivasan, he will be able to contest the state government’s efforts to gain control of the authority that controls the game in the state.
When the debate on the bill was on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar made no secret of the fact that he wanted to give the game a chance to grow. Kumar said: “those who do not know how to hold a cricket bat or a ball have become presidents of the cricket associations. It would be better to let sportspersons run their associations” he added.
Meanwhile Srinivasan’s troubles don’t seem to end. The CBI will summon him on Friday for interrogation in Hyderabad in the Jagan Reddy disproportionate assets case. It is being alleged that there has been an unauthorised release of water for the India Cement factory in Cuddapah getting large quantity of water from the irrigation department of Andhra Pradesh during YS Rajashekhar reddy’s regime.
Srinivasan is managing director of India Cement.
He might oblige tomorrow.
In politics that has nothing to do with party affiliation and everything to do with patronage of the game and players in their respective states, politician members of the BCCI are doing what they are best at: creating pressure so that Srinivasan’s exit causes an early vacancy which can be filled quickly and it can be business as usual as soon as possible for the organisation.
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But conscious that several state cricket organisations have received substantial cricketing largesse during Srinivasan’s tenure and will stand by him, those opposed to him are treading cautiously for fear of causing a split in the organisation.
“Consider BCCI vice president Rajiv Shukla’s statement. He has not really asked Srinivasan to resign. He has only asked him to step aside while investigations are on”, said BCCI member privy to politics in the organisation. He attributed the statement made by Union Minister Farooq Abdullah in support of Srinivasan, to the fact that BCCI gave the Jammu and Kashmir cricket board, Rs 25 crore to develop cricket in the state, Abdullah’s home state.
“Rajeev Shukla has only reiterated what I had said on Sunday in Kolkata that I will keep away from inquiry process. The BCCI inquiry commission has the power to impose sanctions and punishment and I have nothing to do with the commission, it is independent," Srinivasan told reporters.
Union minister Sharad Pawar who is also the former BCCI and ICC President was of the opinion that N Srinivasan should quit from the top post and the ministry of home affairs should probe all the matches played in IPL this season.
The chief of NCP said that cricket lovers of India were hurt because of the scandal and he was saddened that spot fixing took place in IPL. “I never thought spot-fixing would happen in India and that it wouldn’t have happened if I was in charge of the BCCI,” said Sharad Pawar while talking to reporters
The BCCI treasurer and Maharashtra Cricket Association President, Ajay Shirke, talking to television channels, was confident that Srinivasan would come out clean. He also stressed that no cracks were developing within the Board and all members were entitled to their own opinions. Shirke also said that BCCI probe has its limitations and the result of police investigations should be awaited before further comment.
To impeach an elected President of BCCI, at least 9 members should send a request to the secretary. If the request is accepted, this resolution has to be voted. At least 2/3rd of the total 30 members have to vote in favour of the resolution.
“BCCI is inquiring into allegations of match and spot fixing. As there is a conflict of interest in this inquiry, therefore BCCI President should tender his resignation on moral grounds, pending the outcome of the inquiry,” the sports ministry said in a statement.
Srinivasan’s two year term comes to an end in September 2013 and he will be eligible for a one-year extension if nobody decides to contest against him. The next in line to become BCCI President is Arun Jaitley, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha.
Theoretically, Jaitley will get a chance to become BCCI President only in 2014 after Srinivasan retires. The BJP leader is Vice President of BCCI at present and also a member of the disciplinary committee which has to decide the fate of Sreesanth and two other cricketers who are in police custody.
Among the BCCI members who have come out against Srinivasan is Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia while Jagmohan Dalmiya and Farooq Abdullah have supported Srinivasan as BCCI President. Lalu Prasad, as always has a view that is sui generis and has to do with the structure of cricket promotion organisations in Bihar.
In April, the Bihar Assembly passed the Bihar Sports (registration, affiliation and regulation of sports associations) Bill, 2013 amid vociferous protests by the RJD members.
Lalu Prasad is currently the president of the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA), which is affiliated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). But there are two other parallel associations fighting a prolonged legal battle to wrest control from him in the state.
The new legislation empowers the state government to regulate all the sports bodies and makes it mandatory for the associations to get themselves registered first with the government.
The Bill seeks to put to an end the domination of politicians, including Lalu, over different associations of games. This has apparently left the RJD livid. Calling it a draconian bill which will push sports back to 50 years, RJD’s leader of the Opposition in the state assembly Abdul Bari Siddiqui said that no sports association would accept it. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has contested this.
Lalu Prasad thinks by supporting Srinivasan, he will be able to contest the state government’s efforts to gain control of the authority that controls the game in the state.
When the debate on the bill was on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar made no secret of the fact that he wanted to give the game a chance to grow. Kumar said: “those who do not know how to hold a cricket bat or a ball have become presidents of the cricket associations. It would be better to let sportspersons run their associations” he added.
Meanwhile Srinivasan’s troubles don’t seem to end. The CBI will summon him on Friday for interrogation in Hyderabad in the Jagan Reddy disproportionate assets case. It is being alleged that there has been an unauthorised release of water for the India Cement factory in Cuddapah getting large quantity of water from the irrigation department of Andhra Pradesh during YS Rajashekhar reddy’s regime.
Srinivasan is managing director of India Cement.