(Image source from: Should N Srinivasan be allowed to run the ICC?})
India has been flexing its muscles on the international cricket scene for quite some time now, thanks to BCCI's overflowing coffers. Apparently a lion's share of revenue for International Cricket Council (ICC) comes from BCCI after all. So it came as a little surprise when the international board went ahead a picked BCCI's fallen chief N Srinivasan as its new Chairman. This only asserts one thing: there is no stopping the power-lusty Srinivasan who can twist, bend and break arms to be in power.
The big question, however is, should a tainted man like Srinivasan be allowed to run the ICC? Ever since it hit the headlines, speculations have been on on his appointment. If Srinivisan is such a corrupt man, than how can one elect him as ICC Chairman?
It's no surprise that Srinivasan keeps all association bosses happy by furnishing massive grants, sending officials on foreign trips and ensuring all his cronies are a part of the committees. But is that all to appoint N Srinivasan to cricket's top post?
Even the Supreme Court of India wonders so, we believe. The apex coourt had asked (rather forced) Srinivasan to step down from BCCI's top post for fair investigation on IPL match-fixing.
“In our opinion, Srinivasan has to step down for a fair investigation into the allegation of betting,” said Justice A.K. Patnaik in the course of the hearing on the report of Justice Mudgal that went into the allegations of betting and spot fixing in the IPL.
The court had observed: “If you truly want to save the game, if you truly want to save cricket, you have to look at the corruption within the BCCI and step down.”
The Supreme Court’s decisions indicates three things:
That Srinivasan was interfering with the probe. If you take a close look, you will see that so far, in the entire match-fixing probe, the Chennai Super Kings was left untouched, no charges were brought against N Srinivasan or the Chennai team. Aditya Verma of the Bihar Cricket Association had pointed to SC: “As long as Srinivasan is in charge, who will name him?” The SC not only ordered him to step down, bt also ensured that none of his cronies replaced him for a fairer probe. Need we say more?
But Srinivasan isn't the lone player here. That 29 of 30 BCCI State Members have elected him as the president of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association for the 12th time in a row recently and that everything is happening under the nose of political bigwigs shows that the rot is clearly deep.
Here, we have a man, who is yet to get a clean chit in the IPL spot-fixing investigation. It's scary how he has flexed every muscle to delay or put off the investigation against Chennai Superkings and his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan. Even the conflict of interest probe against Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has been deftly swept under the carpet.
Now, as he gears up to become the chairman of the new-look ICC in July, it seems like a truly scary proposition for cricket.
Will the other cricket Boards bow before Srinivasan's autocracy or will they oust him from the game? Whatever they decide, Srinivasan must not be alloweed to come close to his seat until he comes clean.
AW: Suchorita Choudhury
