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Was N Srinivasan really the big loser in the board game that unfolded in New Delhi on Friday? Was he actually outwitted by a band of angry members to at least give lip service to the simmering public sentiment against the BCCI?
By all accounts, Srinivasan was determined to take charge as BCCI president, with the larger goal of paving the way for a further one-year extension in September; there are enough indications too to suggest that he didn’t give up his claim to the chair easily.
Yet, it might well be nothing but a minor setback for him; it’s more than likely that he went back to Chennai with a gleam in his eye, even if the perception is that he has lost face in the bargain. The fact is he is only running against time, probably not the risk of losing the empire he has so imperiously constructed.
If the big shots in the BCCI were really bent on showing him the door, they wouldn’t have taken the Supreme Court route; true, they may have reason to believe that they can successfully challenge the High Court verdict, thereby allowing Srinivasan to make a grand comeback.
But that’s not the moot point: shouldn’t they have questioned the way the probe panel had been constituted, and the limited brief it was given? Isn’t it apparent that the idea was to go through it quickly so that it could be business as usual in the BCCI?
Yes, the Working Committee had amended IPL’s operational rules on June 10, giving legal sanctity to the two-judge probe panel (which surprisingly was not put on the table during the hearings); that, and the fact that the High Court didn’t annul the panel’s findings, should give them confidence that they are on a good wicket.
Sadly though, the BCCI was so absorbed with Srinivasan’s dogged pursuit of the chair that it didn’t deem it fit to ask if the panel was working on a specific brief, that too with a time-frame in mind; it’s surprising too that the High Court didn’t come down heavily on the panel for giving a clean chit despite not seeking and examining enough evidence.
For the bigger picture, really, is not if or when Srinivasan should assume the seat; the point that needs to be investigated is if Gurunath Meiyappan was indeed not part of Chennai Super Kings, if he was not party to inside information in his perceived role as Team Principal. Shouldn’t the BCCI find out how just an ‘enthusiastic fan’ managed to travel with the team, sit in the dugout, participate in player auctions and even attend an owners’ meeting?
By his own admission before the Police, he has indulged in betting; doesn’t it imply that he has brought disrepute to the IPL which is a grave offence according to the rules of the League with severe implications. But then, understandably, nobody wants to rock the cradle that has given birth to dozens of millionaires.
The crucial thing, though, is that the BCCI is not showing any sign of having learnt its lesson from all the controversies; it’s still indulging in its power games, with everybody intent on protecting his own chair and his association’s interest, and not worrying about the damage being caused to cricket and its precious property: the IPL.
It’s time to start thinking about the game, and not about who the winner or the loser is in the board’s game.
