BCCI president N Srinivasan deployed at least one of the two weapons on Sunday to pull off one of the most incredible deceptions ever possible, and that too in full public glare. At least, for the time being.
Over the last few years, we were all led to believe that Gurunath Meiyappan was the owner and/or Team Principal of Chennai Super Kings; apparently, it was actually an illusion. He was neither of the two at any point of time; indeed, he has always been nothing but a CSK enthusiast.
Of course, if Srinivasan really had his way, Meiyappan wouldn't be his son-in-law either, which by the way is a distinct possibility now. But that's a different story and, we can only wait to see how it unfolds, if at all.
Yes, we all saw Meiyappan with envy at auctions buying players; we all saw him in dugouts during matches, hoping to be in his shoes; we all heard him speak to the world on behalf of CSK too, and perhaps wished that he could speak a little better.
But then, as the saying goes, you shouldn't believe everything that you see or hear. When it comes to power, if not self-preservation, nothing is sacrosanct; the sad part is that he is getting away with it because everything, other than the truth, is stacked in his favour.
Board officials, just like the entire world, know that this is a cover-up job; there is enough evidence to suggest that Meiyappan indulged in betting and, possibly, spot-fixing from his privileged position too. But they can't do anything because the setup doesn't provide space for dissent, let alone revolt.
Srinivasan, like most powerful sports administrators, has ruled the BCCI with an iron fist: he has used the carrot-and-stick ploy to ensure that everybody turned the other way as he entrenched himself in. It is an accepted fact that he is ruthless and authoritarian, to the point of being hopelessly arrogant. It, however, requires much greater skill, and even more gumption, to cock a snook at the entire nation; it transcends to another level altogether, though, especially when you do it despite being in the wrong. True, Srinivasan himself has not done it; maybe, the inquiry into the charges against his son-in-law will be fair too.
But let's not fool ourselves: this was not just about saving his kin; it was about saving his franchise, and indeed his empire. Interestingly though, all three are inter-connected.
Srinivasan ought to have resigned on grounds of morality; but he knew that if he went, Meiyappan too would bite the dust. If that happened, the termination clause would be invoked and CSK would also be scrapped. Ironically, if this was the logical end, it would also mean that his run in cricket would come to a grinding halt too. That explains everything, doesn't it?
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