In true BCCI tradition,test for Srinivasan will be on floor of house

Three years later,when Sharad Pawar challenged Ranbir Singh Mahendra,he seemed to have the numbers. Dalmiya was conducting the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Kolkata and expelled then Vidarbha Cricket Association president Sashank Manohar,citing technical reasons. In the end,it was a tie between Mahendra and Pawar but the former was declared winner after Dalmiya exercised his casting vote in his favour. N Srinivasan’s refusal to step down is based on the numbers. Ahead of the BCCI’s emergent working committee meeting next week,here are the two voices — which represent the bigger factions — from the Board that differ on Srinivasan’s stay.

If Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) secretary Ashirwad Behra is strongly in favour of the BCCI president,Goa Cricket Association (GCA) senior vice-president Dr Shekhar Salkar wants his impeachment.

We should not jump the gun

Ashirwad Behra

N Srinivasan has done nothing wrong. Why should he resign? We are with him. The whole of East Zone,except maybe Assam,is with him. His adversaries are completely outnumbered. A three-fourth majority is required to oust a sitting president and they don’t have that.

A probe committee has been formed and it will submit its report. We must wait for the report. If Srinivasan is found guilty then I will be the first man to seek his ouster. But we shouldn’t jump the gun. Law says,one is innocent until proven guilty,and why will Srinivasan have to go for the alleged misdeeds of his son-in-law?

And why are people asking for his removal alone? This is an IPL mess and Rajiv Shukla is the IPL commissioner. Ask him to tender his resignation first. What was the BCCI’s disciplinary committee doing? What did they do to ensure that Indian cricket is free of corruption? Why is the secretary staying silent? These questions need to be answered. The actual problem needs to be addressed. The top priority should be to clean up cricket. A divided house can’t do that.

Rather than training their guns on Srinivasan,everyone should be united in an effort to clean up the mess.

(Behra is secretary of Orissa cricket)

He must own up and resign

Dr Shekhar Salkar

The BCCI president must step down immediately. Indian cricket is at the crossroads and it’s very important to have someone with credibility at the helm. Srinivasan has lost all his credibility. He must own up and it is his moral responsibility to step down.

Even if the motion to impeach him doesn’t get the required support,it would be an opportunity to send across a strong message that there are a lot of people in his organisation,who are demanding his ouster.

I don’t hold other Board members responsible for allowing him to buy an IPL franchise. Maybe that could be an error of judgment. But in this case,one of his family members is allegedly involved. I don’t buy the theory that Gurunath Meiyappan was just a cricket ‘enthusiast’.

There appears to be sufficient proof — his business card,his presence at the IPL auctions and dug-outs — to suggest that Gurunath was a top CSK official.

As far as the commission is concerned,I have every doubt about its fairness. This appears to be Srinivasan’s own commission. Arun Jaitley must immediately take over. If the BCCI constitution prevents him to take charge before September,then Shashank Manohar could be the ideal choice for an interim president.

(Salkar is senior vice-president of Goa cricket)