Rejecting demands for his resignation, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President N. Srinivasan on Sunday announced the setting up of a three-member commission to go into allegations of spot-fixing and betting in IPL matches. The commission will also probe the alleged role of his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, arrested on charges of betting by the Mumbai police.While the exact details about the commission and its nature of work were not revealed, Srinivasan said the management of the Rajasthan Royals will also be subject to the same procedure.
According to him, two members of the probe panel will be from the five-member Disciplinary Committee of the BCCI. The five members are: Sanjay Jagdale (Secretary, BCCI), Ajay Shirke (Treasurer), Arun Jaitley (Vice-President), Rajiv Shukla (Chairman, IPL) and Ravi Shastri (former player).
The third member of the commission will be an “independent member outside the BCCI”.
Srinivasan said: “I am not a part of the commission and neither do I have a role in selecting the members or its deliberations.”
According to Srinivasan , the IPL franchise — Chennai Super Kings — is owned by India Cements Ltd and not his son-in-law Meiyappan.
Distancing the franchise from his son-in-law, Srinivasan said CSK was run by “ex-players” and other officials of India Cements. Gurunath, he said, was an “enthusiast”. The Commission will inquire into his role and about his access to player dugouts.“It is for the Commission to decide on all these issues that include how Gurunath got access to player dugouts and so on,” he said avoiding questions on his son-in-law.
The BCCI, earlier in the day, suspended Gurunath.
According to a press release issued by the Board,“Pending further investigations and any subsequent hearing by the BCCI Disciplinary Committee or the IPL Code of Behaviour Committee, Meiyappan has been suspended from any involvement in cricket and in particular from any involvement with the Chennai Super Kings team.”
Won’t resign
Putting to rest speculations over his resignation, Srinivasan said that he would not step down from the post of BCCI President. This implies that Srinivasan will complete his term, that ends in September. Claiming to have done no wrong, Srinivasan said that not a single Board member has asked him to resign.
“I have not been asked to resign by any of the Board members. Nor have I done anything wrong,” Srinivasan said. Attacking media for spreading canards, the BCCI President said media, “persons suspended by the BCCI”, a defaulter and “fugitives” with vested interests, were keen to discredit him and the BCCI.
Search at Gurunath’s residence
Our Chennai Bureau reports: A four-member team from the Mumbai Crime Branch conducted a day-long search at the residence of Gurunath Meiyappan, son-in-law of BCCI President N. Srinivasan, in connection with the ongoing investigation into allegations of betting in the IPL matches.