Pressure mounts but N Srinivasan unmoved
Former board presidents IS Bindra and AC Muttiah too came down strongly against Srinivasan’s decision to stay put.
Shashank Manohar (R) who was BCCI president from 2008 to 2011 said the goal of BCCI should not be money but a clean game of cricket (File)
N Srinivasan has not resigned as BCCI president despite the Supreme Court’s two-day ultimatum asking him to step down from his post. The court is to resume the hearing of the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal on Thursday and the beleaguered Indian cricket chief seems to have decided to wait for the apex court’s orders.
The Srinivasan-baiters, meanwhile, lambasted their nemesis’s stubborn stance. On Wednesday, Lalit Modi had called upon former BCCI president Shashank Manohar to return to the helm of affairs once Srinivasan vacated the seat.
“Shashank Manohar has previous experience and I think he can take up the responsibility of being the next BCCI President,” Modi had tweeted. Ironically, it was Manohar who had led the BCCI and played a key role in the the former IPL chairman being thrown out from the board back in 2010.
Manohar, who held the president’s post from 2008 to 2011, has more or less stayed away from the BCCI’s matters since leaving the chair. But the Nagpur-based lawyer did make his displeasure regarding the present plight of the board known in a press statement on Wednesday.
“Cricket is the most popular game in India and enjoys a dedicated viewership. This viewership is what generates income and fuels BCCI’s clout on an International Level. The Supreme Court’s observation is that there are very, very serious allegations made in the report and unless the BCCI president steps down, no fair probe can be conducted,” he said.
Meanwhile, former board presidents IS Bindra and AC Muttiah too came down strongly against Srinivasan’s decision to stay put despite the Supreme Court’s observation.
‘A moment of shame’
Writing in his blog, Bindra insisted that this was the time for all the stakeholders of cricket in the country to express their displeasure.
“It’s a moment of shame for us to see the game gaining such disrepute across the globe for a single man’s obsession with power. What stung me most was the use of the word ‘nauseating’ by the apex court in describing BCCI and its chief, N Srinivasan. If that is not reason enough for someone to be ashamed, I wonder what is?” he wrote.
Muttiah said that Srinivasan’s refusal to step down was unbelievable and the greed for power probably wasn’t the only reason behind his obstinacy.
“These are all dramatics. He’s vying for the ICC post and that is one of the reasons. He also wants to save his son-in-law,” Muttiah told a news channel.
Bindra also expressed his astonishment at the continued support that Srinivasan seemed to be enjoying with the rest of the BCCI’s top-brass. “The inaction by the BCCI top brass reflects Srinivasan’s shamelessness to stick to his chair. I appeal to all the right-thinking BCCI officials to stand and be counted,” the senior administrator noted. He added: “Mr. Srinivasan…Quit before you drag Indian cricket down the gutter along with yourself.”
Modi also took a dig on Srinvasan. “It seems that mixture of cement and Fevicol is making it difficult for Srini to get out of his seat. I guess only a axe from court will work,” he tweeted.
‘Suspend IPL7, probe all games’
Mumbai: Former BCCI chief Shashank Manohar has called for the seventh edition of the IPL to be ‘suspended’ this year. Manohar, the man who was replaced by Srinivasan in 2011, also insisted that the Indian public had lost faith in the tournament owing to the allegations regarding betting and spot-fixing that emerged last year.
“Considering the latest developments in the BCCI, it is my considered opinion that until the faith of the people in the integrity of the game is restored, the IPL tournament for the year 2014 should be suspended. The Board members should remind themselves that money/profits is neither the aim nor the objective of the Board. The primary duty is to promote a clean game of cricket,” he said.
“All IPL matches should first be investigated and only then can all the erring parties be punished and the clean up initiated. What has been lately revealed could well be the tip of the iceberg,” he added.
Manohar also criticised the board’s decision to shift the first leg of IPL7 to the UAE despite the murky reputation of the venue.
Manohar’s suggestions received wholesome support from IS Bindra, a former BCCI president himself. “We can re-assemble in 2015 once the tournament is cleared of the unwanted elements. IPL needs an urgent cleansing process,” wrote Bindra on his blog. (ENS)
Share
