N Srinivasan buries hatchet with rivals, set to stay ICC chief
Amid the uncertainty surrounding his continuation as chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), it turns out that N Srinivasan is likely to remain on the post, even complete his two-year term.
The Sunday Express has learnt that the former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has buried the hatchet with secretary Anurag Thakur after a bitter tussle for power that spilled into the public sphere with each side accusing the other of misconduct.
The patch-up is supposed to have taken place on the sidelines of the ICC annual conference in Barbados last month following which Srinivasan was told he could remain at the helm of ICC affairs for another year.
“There was a time when Srinivasan had been under threat of losing his chair at the ICC. But he spoke to Anurag in Barbados and they have patched up. The BCCI will not replace him when they meet for the AGM (annual general meeting) in September,” sources close to Srinivasan said.
However, the equation could change once the R M Lodha committee announces its quantum of punishment in the IPL-8 betting case on Tuesday. With Srinivasan’s son-in-law, Gurunath Meiyappan, in the dock and question mark over the former BCCI chief-owned Chennai Super Kings, the verdict could affect the new-found alliance within the cricket board.
Meanwhile, BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya was non-committal. “At the last AGM, we decided that Srinivasan will be the BCCI’s representative at the ICC till the next AGM. So we still have time. We will decide at our next AGM,” he said.
It is learnt that Dalmiya discussed the issue with Thakur when the latter met him at his residence in Kolkata last week.
During the BCCI’s last AGM held at Chennai in March, the Indian cricket board decided to allow Srinivasan to continue representing them in the ICC. But there were doubts whether he would retain the hot seat post-September.
After the AGM, Srinivasan had a meeting with Dalmiya where, sources said, he was miffed to see the latter’s son Abhishek — he was actively involved in the meeting last week — running day-to-day functioning of the board. It was following this meeting that Srinivasan called upon his one-time foe and former BCCI and ICC chief, Sharad Pawar, on the sidelines of the ICC World Cup in Australia.
Pawar, however, is learnt to have told Srinivasan that he will support him only if his former rival doesn’t aim to get any post in Indian cricket again. In that case, as far as the ICC is concerned, he would ensure that Srinivasan be allowed to complete his term.
Srinivasan also spoke to other BCCI heavyweights, who are close to Thakur, over the past few months. Many of them suggested that the secretary be approached directly.
There was talk in the BCCI circles about Thakur being keen on nominating former BCCI president Shashank Manohar as the ICC chairman. But there is a clause which stipulates that a chairman candidate should have served as a member of the ICC board of directors.
And the only BCCI representative fulfilling the clause is Srinivasan. He has attended the ICC meetings, including the last one in the Caribbean, as its chairman. It is learnt that Thakur was made aware of the clause before he left for Barbados.
“There is no second representative from the BCCI. Srinivasan has been chairing the ICC meetings both as its head and on behalf of the BCCI. The matter came to the board’s notice very late,” a source said.
“Srinivasan completes one year as the ICC chief in July, two months before the BCCI AGM. And there will be only ten months left of his term thereafter. Having a new ICC chairman for that period doesn’t make sense,” the source said.
