New Delhi: N Srinivasan in all likelihood will step down as the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in today's emergency meeting, according to sources. After Rajeev Shukla quit as the chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL) yesterday, Mr Srinivasan is reportedly left with little choice but to resign in the wake of the crisis that has engulfed Indian cricket with allegations of
spot-fixing and betting in this year's edition IPL, which ended last Sunday.
However, the BCCI chief, an elected functionary, has some demands of his own, sources said. He reportedly wants an assurance that he will be reinstated as the board's president once his name is cleared in the ongoing controversy. Till that time, Mr Srinivasan reportedly wants a "credible face" to replace him as the interim president. Shashank Manohar, his predecessor as BCCI boss, is reportedly the frontrunner to take charge should Mr Srinivasan quit. BCCI vice-president Niranjan Shah is also a candidate for the president's post, according to sources. (
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Mr Srinivasan also reportedly wants a re-election to fill the two posts made vacant on Friday when Ajay Shirke resigned as treasurer and Sanjay Jagdale quit as secretary of the board to step up the pressure on the BCCI president. Sources say that he doesn't want those who resigned as office-bearers to return to the BCCI fold. Mr Srinivasan also reportedly wants to continue as a member of the International Cricket Council (ICC). According to sources, some BCCI members are opposed to both these conditions.
Sources claim final negotiations are currently taking place over Mr Srinivasan's preconditions ahead of the meeting scheduled to take place in Chennai at 2:30 pm. Arun Jaitley, Anurag Thakur, former BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya, Anil Kumble, Niranjan Shah, and Rajeev Shukla are expected to attend. Mr Jagdale and Mr Shirke have also been invited to today's meeting as special invitees. Mr Jagdale, however, has refused to attend. (
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"I don't want to go. There are many accomplished persons on the board who can deal with the crisis and take Indian cricket to new heights," he said today.
Mr Jagdale along with Mr Shirke quit two days ago after the BCCI president continued to stonewall demands of his resignation. However, sources in the Mumbai Police revealed information on Friday that made Mr Srinivasan's job of holding on to his post significantly tougher. They said that Mr Srinivasan's son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was warned by the ICC about the 'company' he was keeping before the IPL season began in April this year.
Mr Meiyappan's visiting card names him as the 'Team Principal' of the Chennai Super Kings, which made him a crucial member of the franchise's management. He was arrested on May 24 on charges of gambling, cheating, and conspiracy.
Mr Srinivasan has said that if his son-in-law was placing bets, he was not aware of this.
The working committee does not have voting rights to remove Mr Srinivasan. For that to happen, a Special General Meeting of the full board will have to be convened, and three-fourths of the entire board of 30 will have to vote against him.
But that may be unnecessary - with the high-decibel campaign for his removal now peaking, the BCCI chief it seems has no option but to resign.