Srini survives despite court order

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Johannesburg

Administrators who thought a court order would rid the game, at least temporarily, of Narayanaswami Srinivasan would have been disappointed that he attended an International Cricket Council board meeting in Dubai yesterday.

On March 28, India’s Supreme Court forced Srinivasan to step aside as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) pending the outcome of an investigation into illegal betting and spot-fixing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) that is focused on his son-in-law, Gurunath Meiyappan.

The court ordered Sunil Gavasakar to head this year’s IPL, which starts on Wednesday, and said that in “all other matters of BCCI, the senior most vice-president of the BCCI, Mr Shiv Lal Yadav, will discharge the functions of the president of the BCCI”.

According to the court papers, Srinivasan himself “made a written offer through his counsel that till the investigation into which the allegations against him is completed he will not discharge any of the functions of the president of the BCCI.”

And yet, Srinivasan was listed as the BCCI’s representative in an ICC release announcing the two-day meeting. An ICC spokesperson confirmed yesterday that he “attended the ICC board meeting as a nominated representative of the BCCI”.

The ICC’s code of ethics says “directors shall not engage in any conduct that in any way denigrates the ICC or harms its public image constitution on at least two counts”.

The body’s constitution makes provision for a director to be “removed as a member of the executive board by notice given to him and executed by not less than two thirds of the members of the executive board on any one of the following grounds: (1) he is guilty of any dishonesty, gross misconduct or willful neglect of duty (whether by act or omission); or (2) in the reasonable opinion of the executive board, he commits (whether by act or omission) any act which brings or would tend to bring the (ICC) into disrepute; or (3) he conducts himself in a manner materially adverse to the interests of the (ICC).”

More embarrassment for the ICC could follow in June, when Srinivasan is set to be installed as the organisation’s inaugural chairperson - a key decision in the takeover of the world game by India, England and Australia in February.

The ICC’s amended constitution says that the first chair “shall be the nominee on the ICC board of the BCCI”. Unless the Supreme Court probe orders Srinivasan’s permanent removal from office, he is likely to be that nominee.

Cricket SA (CSA) are represented at the meeting by Peter Cyster, their vice-president. The president, Chris Nenzani, did not attend because, he said yesterday, he was at his son’s graduation from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University on Tuesday.

* A third T20 international has been added to West Indies’ itinerary for their tour to SA next season, CSA said yesterday. The day/night match will be played at Kingsmead on January 14.

Meanwhile, planning for next year’s World Cup has prompted CSA to split next season’s franchise one-day competition into two blocks of time.

The event will start in October but will conclude in February to give the national players the opportunity to hone their limited overs skills shortly before the World Cup in Australasia. SA’s first match is against Zimbabwe in Hamilton on February 15.