Chennai/ New Delhi: Following the Supreme Court verdict, N. Srinivasan, the beleaguered chairman of the International Cricket Council has two options to either sell of Chennai Super Kings IPL team or to resign from India Cements Board.
Read: Srini can't contest BCCI polls; Meiyappan-Kundra involved in betting, rules SC
Both are hard options and the sale of the team is the first choice that is being sized up. The people in his inner team are confident that the cricket honcho will find a way to contest the next elections to be president of BCCI.
Sources in the cricket board are also saying that the game is far from over and that Mr Srinivasan will be a candidate in BCCI elections soon when it is the turn of East Zone member associations to nominate a BCCI member for president.
Read: IPL spot-fixing: What will N Srinivasan choose - BCCI or CSK?
While there was speculation that Mr Srinivasan would put up his own trusted candidate before the majority of the board whose loyalty he still commands, it is now made clear by sources that Mr Srinivasan would like to be that candidate and not sponsor anyone else.
Meanwhile, interesting developments are ahead in the ICC, which is due to host the World Cup in a few weeks’ time.
Read: N Srinivasan must give up ICC post: experts
A source says that if Mr Srinivasan is ineligible to be BCCI President then he could face awkward questions of eligibility to continue to hold the post of ICC Chairman to which he was elected last summer. The source adds that he may have given assurances during his election last June that he would step down if he becomes ineligible to be head of BCCI.
The administrators of England and Australia, who backed him amid controversy last year, are likely to consider the options before them.
Srini has a lot of options:
Despite the Supreme Court coming down hard on Narayanswami Srinivasan, Sportslawyer-activist Rahul Mehra said that the verdict gave Mr Srinivasan a lot of options.
“My gut feel is that they (Srinivasan) will find a way out of this. The judgment is an either-or one and unless this gets sorted out, this is by no means a closed chapter,” Mr Mehra told this newspaper.
In its ruling on petitions by the Cricket Association of Bihar, the bench observed: “The BCCI cannot afford to see the game lose its credibility in the eyes of those who watch it, by allowing an impression to gather ground what goes on in the name of the game is no more than a farce because of sporting frauds like betting, match-fixing and the like.”
The bench said the BCCI could not live with the idea of the game being seen only as a means to cheat the unsuspecting and gullible spectators watching, whether in the stadium or on the television, “with the passion one rarely sees in any other sporting enterprise.”
The bench said: “Allegations of sporting frauds like match fixing and betting have for the past few years cast a cloud over the working of the BCCI. Cricket being more than just a sport for millions in this part of the world, accusations of malpractices and conflicts of interest against those who not only hold positions of influence in the BCCI but also own franchises and teams competing in the IPL format have left many cricketing enthusiasts and followers of the game worried and deeply suspicious about what goes on in the name of the game.”
Late on Thursday evening, the BCCI said in a statement: “The BCCI welcomes the order of the honourable Supreme Court, which has put to rest the uncertainty that has prevailed in the recent past. The BCCI will extend its unstinted cooperation to the three-member committee appointed by the honourable Supreme Court. The annual general body meeting of the BCCI, which also includes the election of office-bearers, will be held in accordance with the directions and timelines as stipulated by the honourable Supreme Court.”
Cautioning the BCCI, the bench said: “Its commercial plans for its own benefit and the benefit of the players are bound to blow up in smoke, if the people who watch and support the game were to lose interest or be indifferent because they get to know some business interests have hijacked the game for their own ends or that the game is no longer the game they know or love because of frauds on and off the field.”
The bench named former Chief Justice R.M. Lodha as chairman and retired Supreme Court judges Ashok Bhan and R.V. Raveendran as committee members to go into the question of determining the quantum of punishment against Mr Srinivasan vis-a-vis the determination of guilt of betting against Meiyappan, former CSK team official.
Writing the judgment, Justice Thakur said: ?The BCCI shall hold elections within six weeks in accordance with the prevalent rules and regulations, subject to the condition that no one who has any commercial interest in the BCCI event (including N. Srinivasan) shall be eligible for contesting elections for any post whatsoever.
“We make it clear that the disqualification for contesting elections applicable to those who are holding any commercial interest in BCCI events shall hold good and continue till such time the person concerned holds such commercial interest or till the committee considers and awards suitable punishment to those liable for the same; whichever is later.”
The bench said: “The committee shall, before taking a final view on the quantum of punishment to be awarded, issue notice to all those likely to be affected and provide to them a hearing in the matter. The order passed by the committee shall be final and binding upon the BCCI and the parties concerned.”
The bench said the committee would decide the quantum of punishment to Meiyappan and Raj Kundra of Rajasthan Royals, as well as the conduct a further probe into the role of IPL chief operating officer Sundar Raman.
The committee was also asked to examine and make suitable recommendations to the BCCI for such reforms in its practices and procedures and such amendments in the memorandum of association, rules and regulations as might be considered necessary.
The bench held that the BCCI was amenable to the writ jurisdiction of the high court as it discharged public functions and had complete sway over the game of cricket in this country.
