BCCI emergency meet today, Srini likely to play hardball
N Srinivasan may agree to step down on condition that he should be reinstated if the board’s probe finds nothing against him. Sanjjeev K Samyal reports. Shukla quits T20 post | How the stubborn BCCI boss gave in | Final fireworks | Nuts and bolts
“The Board is a body of seasoned members, there won't be any shouting match. Everything will be done calmly,” a seasoned administrator said ahead of one of the most important Working Committee meetings in its history, to be held in Chennai on Sunday.
The statement, in simple words, meant the sentence on ending N Srinivasan's reign as president has been passed, but every care will be taken to ensure it is a bloodless coup. This is the working style of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
Srinivasan's fate will be decided in Sunday's emergency meeting. While there will be a group which will bay for his unconditional resignation, the majority will be working towards
The other important issue up for discussion will be on accepting the resignations of the top Board and Twenty20 league officials and the reconstitution of the probe panel. But Sunday's meeting will be mainly about Srinivasan's fate.
Staying adamant
The BCCI president has been defiant not to step down but Board members have formed a strong lobby to prevail over him, pending the outcome of the probe into his son-in-law's alleged role in the betting scandal. But it will be easier said than done.
Srinivasan, who will be on home turf, is unlikely to go down without a fight. He knows the constitution provides him great security and that he has the required numbers if it comes to voting.
However, even those who are expected to vote for him are in favour of his stepping aside on moral grounds.
So, the success of the meeting will depend on how much pressure can put on the man to achieve their goal.
Those close to Srinivasan say he is sticking to his guns so that he do hard bargaining. The main reason he has not put in his papers is because his stakes are very high, and he wants to be assured that his team, Chennai Super Kings, will not be targeted.
He will agree to not take part in the functioning of the Board till the outcome of the probe on condition that he is reinstated if found to be clean.
Staying relevantHe will also want to have a say in the appointment of the interim president, secretary and treasurer.
These are the three top posts in the Board and if these men are against him, everything can be turned against him like it happened to ex-league boss Lalit Modi and former BCCI president, Jagmohan Dalmiya.
The Board vice-president, Arun Jaitley, and Anurag Thakur, its joint secretary, are expected to play key roles in the meeting.
After a long time, IS Bindra is expected to attend a working committee meeting as president of the Punjab Cricket Association.
He is the one who opened the front against Srinivasan. The other members who could sway the verdict are Jyotiraditya Scinda, Dalmiya and vice-president, Niranjan Shah.
The working committee has 24 members and it has been largely summoned to gauge the mood, which is heavily against Srinivasan.
With secretary Sanjay Jagdale and treasurer Ajay Shirke gone, it will be down to 22 members as the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association and Maharashtra Cricket Association are not part of the current panel.