You are the one who brought Srinivasan into cricket administration. What made you take such a decision?
It was a huge mistake. I thought he would do a good job as I wanted to have someone who has the ability to handle TNCA activities efficiently. But my decision backfired.
You had very good relationship with Srinivasan. What went wrong?
I think he was not happy working under my supervision as he wanted to have total control over TNCA. I gave a free hand to everyone and never interfered in others roles.
Do you like IPL and T20s?
Yes, I do. IPL is a very good product, it must go on. It generates a lot of revenue which can be spent on the development of the game. But you have to have good governance in place. No BCCI office bearers should have any stake in an IPL franchise. IPL should be delinked from BCCI and made into a separate entity run by a professional management company.
How do you react to the spot-fixing scandal?
BCCI is a very powerful body and when its president's son-in-law gets arrested for alleged betting, it can't be swept under the carpet. BCCI is answerable to the people of this country. The latest scandal has spoiled its image and the rebuilding process will be a bit difficult.
What sort of outcome do you expect?
I am not sure if there will be any change at the top immediately. As far as I know Srinivasan, he won't quit so easily as no one will raise voice within the BCCI. I hope the culprits will be put behind the bars. As a former servant of the BCCI, I would expect the board to continue its work towards development of the game.
Will there be a commission like the Madhavan Commission which had three cricketers banned for alleged involvement in match-fixing during your tenure?
You can rule out that possibility. I could take stern action against the accused players because my stance was neutral. My relatives name were not involved in the scandal. But this is a completely different case and I don't think the BCCI administrators or IPL disciplinary committee members will take any action against Srinivasan.
IPL is a mix of money, sport, entertainment and glamour. What is your suggestion to keep the players, administrators and coaches away from allurement?
As I said good governance is a must. For a sportsman, disciple is everything and you have to educate yourself and learn to keep a distance from rotten elements.
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