Srini's sidelining won't ease CSA's BCCI woes

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Johannesburg

The president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Narayanaswami Srinivasan, will probably accede today to yesterday’s recommendation from that country’s supreme court for him to step aside during its investigation into corruption in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

But Cricket SA (CSA), who have seen their once strong relationship with the powerful BCCI crumble to enmity, should not celebrate what could be seen as Srinivasan’s demise.

Even if Srinivasan, cricket’s ultimate survivor, moves out of the spotlight he will only be as far away from the levers of power as his right-hand yes-man’s cell phone.

That was the case from June 2 to October 8 last year, when Srinivasan had stepped aside and Jagmohan Dalmiya was named the BCCI’s interim president.

Then, as now, the issue was alleged corruption in the IPL. Srinivasan’s son-in-law, Gurunath Meiyappan, who was also the “principal” of the Chennai Super Kings - who are owned by Srinivasan - was arrested by Mumbai police for his apparent involvement in illegal betting on the team’s matches.

But, despite Srinivasan’s absence, CSA found that the BCCI were as difficult as ever to deal with in their negotiations to salvage India’s tour to SA this season.

The Indians, angered by CSA’s unilateral release of a fixture list that featured three tests, seven one-day internationals and two T20s, and unhappy over CSA’s appointment of Haroon Lorgat as their chief executive in defiance of their warning not to do so, hacked a test, four ODIs and both T20s out of the schedule.

The BCCI are likely to meet today to decide what to do, but Indian sources said yesterday Srinivasan would temporarily relinquish his position pending the resumption of the investigation tomorrow.

He would seem to have little choice. “Mr Srinivasan should step down or else we’ll be forced to pass an order (for him to do so),” one of the two judges involved, AK Patnaik, said yesterday.

“How did he stay on despite all the allegations? His staying on is nauseating for cricket.”

The other judge, Ibrahim Kalifulla, said, “If there has to be a fair and dispassionate enquiry, Mr Srinivasan must step down.”