25 March 2024 last updated at 19:12 GMT
 
Srinivasan bends Board ways
Sunday 24 August 2014

Narayanswamy Srinivasan’s official ‘status’ in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should become clear on September 1, when the Supreme Court resumes hearing on the civil appeal filed by the Bihar Cricket Association, reports The Telegraph.

Justices Tirath Singh Thakur and Fakkir Mohammed Ibrahim Kalifulla are expected to hold court as petitioner Aditya Verma seeks a ruling.

September 1 is also when the Supreme Court-appointed Justice Mukul Mudgal panel will either submit an interim report or seek an extension to complete its inquiry into 13 individuals, including Srinivasan.

Despite being sidelined by Supreme Court as the BCCI president, Srinivasan has taken over as the International Cricket Council chairman.

It’s worth noting that Srinivasan was “reconfirmed” as the BCCI’s nominee by two individuals — Shivlal Yadav, the interim president (non-IPL) and secretary Sanjay Patel.

The Justice Mudgal panel meets on August 27-28 to “review” the progress in investigations and to decide whether it would be necessary, at a future date, to grill some of the India cricketers currently in England.

The Justice Mudgal panel’s internal “review” was to have been done by August 15-16, but it wasn’t possible.

According to the May 16 order of Justices Ananga Kumar Patnaik (since retired) and Kalifulla, the Justice Mudgal panel is supposed to submit its report by the end of August after investigations, being overseen by a senior IPS officer, Bibhuti Bhushan Mishra.

Going by convention, the BCCI’s AGM is held by September 30, but Srinivasan’s men may push for a postponement if the Justice Mudgal panel seeks and is granted an extension.

Should one man’s agenda continue to determine how an institution is to be run?

Srinivasan’s three-year term ends next month, but he’s desperate on continuing for another three years. This time, he will have to be proposed and seconded by affiliates from the East (not South Zone), though.

That won’t be a headache as Ranjib Biswal’s Odisha Cricket Association and Amitabh Choudhary’s Jharkhand State Cricket Association are absolutely firmly with Srinivasan.

“Don’t expect anybody to say or do anything till after September 1... Let’s see what the Supreme Court orders... You can’t try guessing how it could proceed,” a well-placed source told The Telegraph on Saturday.

Shockingly, the BCCI hasn’t had a regular working committee meeting after February 28, yet nobody has said a word.

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