Spot-fixing: SC pulls up Srinivasan as BCCI chief

New Delhi: The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday questioned N Srinivasan’s return as the chief of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The top court said: “Can’t make a distinction between BCCI and Indian Premier League (IPL). IPL is a by product of BCCI.”

“Some people who are in BCCI now own a team. It has become a mutual benefit society. Ownership of team raises conflict of interest. BCCI chief has to run the show but you have a team which raises questions. Can BCCI president own a team? How far is this fair?,” it added. BCCI, however, dismissed any conflict of interest.

This further toughens the cricket giant’s return at the helm of affairs.

The hearing of the IPL spot-fixing inquiry – based on the report by Justice Mukul Mudgal Committee – resumed on Monday. The fate of IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Gurunath Meiyappan is yet to be known.

After SC cleared the tainted ICC Chairman, he sought the apex body to reinstate him as BCCI president and to allow CSK to continue in the IPL.

The board stood behind Srinivasan and IPL Chief Operating Officer Sundar Raman after the emergency working committee meeting on November 18.

The Mudgal Committee had said that Srinivasan and four other BCCI officials were aware of the the violation of the Players Code of Conduct by the players, but no action was taken by any of them.

Srinivasan was also indicted by a probe committee for not acting against an unnamed cricketer accused of misconduct while his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra were found guilty of betting that could leave their teams CSK and Rajasthan Royals in trouble.

Srinivasan said: "The player had been reprimanded and that was not during my tenure. I was not involved in fixing and betting."

The panel also came out with a severe indictment of Raman. It said he knew a bookie and had contacted him eight times in a season.