Srinivasan set to attend BCCI meet

MUMBAI: N Srinivasan on Tuesday declared that he would be attending the BCCI working committee meeting in New Delhi on August 2. However, he didn't confirm if he would assume charge as president at the meeting or whether Jagmohan Dalmiya would continue as interim chief. When asked in what capacity he would be going there, he shot back: "Come there and see for yourself."

Srinivasan had said that he would step aside as BCCI president till the probe panel gave its findings into match-fixing and betting allegations against his son-in-law and India Cements-owned franchise Chennai Super Kings. Now that the panel has submitted its report, and given them a clean chit, it is being suggested that he can return to the chair; the panel, after all, has technically completed its task and the Bombay High Court, too, has dismissed the PIL against its constitution.

"I don't know why you people are making a big issue," Srinivasan told PTI. "A writ was filed and the court has given its verdict. The matter finishes there." It's of course a different matter that the high court has said that the panel's formation was illegal.

While BCCI will head to the Supreme Court now, Srinivasan is unlikely to let Dalmiya stay in charge for long, especially with the all-important Annual General Meeting of the board is just two months away where he will be seeking a year's extension as president. Everybody in BCCI is not on the same page though.

"Firstly, when he said he was stepping aside, it was wrong because there is no provision in the constitution to do that. What does 'stepping aside' mean? BCCI is a body of elected members," said a BCCI official.

The BCCI may have erred in not following its own constitution while setting up the two-member panel to probe allegations.

Srinivasan was still the president when the panel was named and, more importantly, there is no clarity on how and when it was actually formed. A BCCI official though told the high court that he spoke to all members of the IPL governing council on telephone and took their assent before naming the two former judges.

Also, the letter announcing the formation of the panel had Sanjay Jagdale's signature, although he had resigned from his post.

Meanwhile, Verma - who represents Cricket Association of Bihar - is ecstatic with the ruling. "I received anonymous calls from people who either kept threatening me or luring me with freebies so that I would stay away from the matter. But I refused to budge. I am very happy that my petition has played an important role here," he told TOI.

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Shweta Pandey

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