November 24, 2014
Wrapping on the knuckles of BCCI, the Supreme Court on Monday asked ICC Chairman N Srinivasan to address the question of conflict of interest as head of BCCI and also owner of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings.
November 24, 2014
Wrapping on the knuckles of BCCI, the Supreme Court on Monday asked ICC Chairman N Srinivasan to address the question of conflict of interest as head of BCCI and also owner of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings.
The apex court resumed hearing in the IPL spot-fixing case on Tuesday after Srinivasan filed an affidavit last week requesting the Supreme Court to reinstate him as the Indian cricket board's president.
But Supreme Court's observations have put his future as a cricket administrator in the country in jeopardy.
SC said the board cannot make distinction between IPL and BCCI because IPL is a byproduct of BCCI. The court also asked if a BCCI administrator can own an IPL team and how that does not amount to conflict of interest.
"You will have to address question of conflict of interest as head of BCCI and also as owner of IPL team, whose official is found to be involved in betting," SC told Srinivasan while maintaining that the court has complete trust in the Justice Mukul Mudgal committee's report.
"We take the findings of Justice Mudgal committee's report as gospel truth," SC said, adding that the board needs to rid the sport of fixing menace. The court raised questions on the partiality of BCCI in taking action against its administrators who are prima facie seemed to be involved in the IPL scam.
"If you allow these things to happen, then you are killing the game of cricket. Cricket must be played in its true spirit and should remain a gentleman's game.
"Cricket is like religion in this country. All the processes of BCCI must remain transparent. If you are allowing things like this [fixing] to happen, then you are killing this game. If confidence of the people is shattered, then the game will be over. What promotes this game is when it is played in a gentleman's spirit," the court observed.
The BCCI, on the other hand, has requested SC not to divulge the whole report as careers of cricketers will be affected.
Courtesy: PTI
