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BCCI cribs about N Srinivasan after Supreme Court observations

Board to convene emergent working committee meeting on Sunday to discuss future course

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All these months, they were happy scratching each other's back. But thanks to the Supreme Court's latest observations, a section of the BCCI is consumed with a sense of propriety. Why, they are even cribbing — secretly, of course — that president-in-abeyance N Srinivasan is "remote-controlling" the board. The good news, though, is that the board has paid heed to the demands of these associations. And as a result, the BCCI will hold an emergent meeting of its working committee on Sunday to discuss ways and means to implement the apex court's directives.

The meeting, which will be held at 3:00 pm at the Cricket Centre in Mumbai, was convened following requests from several state associations — all known Srinivasan bashers, but Sharad Pawar backers — woken up from their slumber by the Supreme Court's startling revelation that Srinivasan's name figured in that separate envelope submitted by the Justice Mukul Mudgal Committee.

"I am glad we are going to have an emergent meeting," Jagmohan Dalmiya, the board's eastern point man, told dna on Thursday. "All of us (in the board) have done a lot of cricket. So when an authority like the Supreme Court makes such observations, we feel hurt. There is no doubt that the board's image has taken a beating. And it is important that we meet and discuss the future course of action," the former board president added.

Shashank Manohar, another former BCCI president and Srinivasan's friend-turned-foe, slammed one and all. "The BCCI lacks leaders to take on Srinivasan, who is shamelessly and stubbornly sticking to his chair. Nothing has moved in the last one year. The outbreak of the scandal happened in May 2013 and we are currently in April 2014," the Nagpur-based lawyer told PTI. "In BCCI, the powers are vested with the working committee and the General Body, and not with the president," he said. It must be noted here that Manohar was president when the BCCI amended its constitution to allow Srinivasan to own an IPL franchise. This 'conflict of interest' contention is the root of all evils plaguing the BCCI now.

Several top BCCI officials are in the UAE for the IPL. But most of them will now have to fly down to Mumbai in time for Sunday's crucial meeting. A cursory look at the BCCI website (www.bcci.tv) reveals that interim president Sunil Gavaskar's name tops the list of 24 members of the working committee. Interim president he may be, but lest we forget, the Supreme Court had made him in charge of IPL-related affairs.

"We make it clear that with regard to all other matters of BCCI, the seniormost vice-president of the BCCI, Mr Shivlal Yadav, will discharge the functions of the President of the BCCI," the Supreme Court had said last month. It's a different matter, though, that Yadav, like many others, is simply a yes man of Srinivasan.

Onto more pressing issues and the working committee will have to come up with a concrete plan to clean up the mess. After all, the next hearing is on April 22 (Tuesday). That the apex court decided against appointing an SIT or, for that matter, the CBI to further investigate into the scandal is blessing of sorts for the BCCI which finds itself in choppy waters. Respecting the institutional autonomy of the BCCI, the apex court has asked the board to come up with a plan.

"Yes, that is one of the main issues we need to discuss. What should be our reply to the Supreme Court? Who will be part of the new probe panel? We have to come up with a concrete plan," said a state association honcho, preferring anonymity.

DID YOU KNOW?
The working committee is the ultimate decision-making body in the BCCI. It comprises 24 members. Sunday's meeting will — and should — be chaired by Shivlal Yadav (interim president, BCCI-related affairs and South Zone vice-president) and not Sunil Gavaskar (interim-president, IPL). The other officials supposed to attend the meeting are Sanjay Patel (secretary), Anurag Thakur (joint secretary), Anirudh Chaudhry (treasurer), SP Bansal (vice-president, North Zone), Chitrak Mitra (vice-president, East Zone), Ravi Savant (vice-president, West Zone), Rajeev Shukla (vice-president, Central Zone), Delhi & District Cricket Association (permanent Test centre), Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (permanent Test centre), Cricket Association of Bengal (permanent Test centre), Mumbai Cricket Association (permanent Test centre), Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (Permanent test centre), Haryana Cricket Association (North Zone, by rotation), Goa Cricket Association (South Zone, by rotation), National Cricket Club (East Zone, by rotation), The Cricket Club Of India (West Zone, by rotation), Railway Sports Promotion Board (Central Zone, by rotation), Karnataka State Cricket Association (staged Test match in the last two years), Punjab Cricket Association ( staged Test match in the last two years), Gujarat Cricket Association (staged Test match in the last two years), Vidarbha Cricket Association (staged Test match in the last two years), Hyderabad Cricket Association (staged Test match in the last two years)

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