For BCCI president N Srinivasan, it could just be the beginning of the end of his role as cricket administrator. The amendments in BCCI-IPL constitutions, which facilitated entry of his company India Cement Limited as owner of the franchisee Chennai Super Kings in 2008, is proving to be the albatross around his neck.
According to Article 2.2.1 of BCCI constitution, ‘placing, accepting, laying or otherwise entering into any bet with any other party (whether individual, company or otherwise) in relation to the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any match or event,’ amount to the violation of BCCI’s anti-corruption code. When read along with Article 6.2, India Cements and its promoters could face ban of a minimum of five years and a maximum of a lifetime if Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan is found guilty of betting. Meiyappan was arrested by Mumbai police on Friday night. While he was forced to present himself before the crime branch of the Mumbai police on Friday evening, Srinivasan made one last ditch attempt to save himself from lifetime ban.
Hours before Meiyappan arrived in Mumbai, a statement by India Cements executive president TS Raghupathy said, ‘Meiyappan is neither owner, nor CEO or team principal of IPL franchisee Chennai Super Kings. Gurunath is only one of the members (Honorary) of the management team.’ However, these shenanigans have not saved Srinivasan from losing support within the board with its members making indirect demands for his exit. NCP spokesperson DP Tripathi on Friday demanded his resignation ‘to prove his honesty.’
Similarly, long-time sponsor of Indian cricket team and owner of Pune Warriors India, Rashtriya Sahara, said they won’t sponsor the teams as long as Srinivasan was in the chair. ‘Srinivasan does not know how to run cricket. Sahara will not sponsor Team India as long as N Srinivasan stays its chief,’ Sahara chief Subrata Roy said.
Meanwhile, cricket administrators Arun Jaitley, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, and Rajiv Shukla, MP, met Law Minister Kapil Sibal demanding a strong anti-fixing legislation should be enacted soon. Jaitley is vice-president of the BCCI and in the event of Srinivasan quitting Jaitley could officiate as the beleaguered cricket board’s chief.
According to Article 2.2.1 of BCCI constitution, ‘placing, accepting, laying or otherwise entering into any bet with any other party (whether individual, company or otherwise) in relation to the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any match or event,’ amount to the violation of BCCI’s anti-corruption code. When read along with Article 6.2, India Cements and its promoters could face ban of a minimum of five years and a maximum of a lifetime if Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan is found guilty of betting. Meiyappan was arrested by Mumbai police on Friday night. While he was forced to present himself before the crime branch of the Mumbai police on Friday evening, Srinivasan made one last ditch attempt to save himself from lifetime ban.
Hours before Meiyappan arrived in Mumbai, a statement by India Cements executive president TS Raghupathy said, ‘Meiyappan is neither owner, nor CEO or team principal of IPL franchisee Chennai Super Kings. Gurunath is only one of the members (Honorary) of the management team.’ However, these shenanigans have not saved Srinivasan from losing support within the board with its members making indirect demands for his exit. NCP spokesperson DP Tripathi on Friday demanded his resignation ‘to prove his honesty.’
Similarly, long-time sponsor of Indian cricket team and owner of Pune Warriors India, Rashtriya Sahara, said they won’t sponsor the teams as long as Srinivasan was in the chair. ‘Srinivasan does not know how to run cricket. Sahara will not sponsor Team India as long as N Srinivasan stays its chief,’ Sahara chief Subrata Roy said.
Meanwhile, cricket administrators Arun Jaitley, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, and Rajiv Shukla, MP, met Law Minister Kapil Sibal demanding a strong anti-fixing legislation should be enacted soon. Jaitley is vice-president of the BCCI and in the event of Srinivasan quitting Jaitley could officiate as the beleaguered cricket board’s chief.