Live Updates: BCCI calls off meet, Srinivasan comeback stalled

[caption id=“attachment_1004929” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Srinivasan all set for a comeback. Getty Images[/caption] BCCI’s official media release At its meeting in Delhi earlier today, the IPL Governing Council (Mr. N. Srinivasan having recused himself) considered at length, the issues arising from the Bombay High Court’s order regarding the constitution of the probe commission, which was formed to investigate the complaints made by the BCCI against India Cements Limited, Jaipur IPL Cricket Private Limited, Mr. Gurunath Meiyappan and Mr Raj Kundra. As a matter of principle, the members confirmed that it was important that the Governing Council’s actions be and be seen to be both legally and ethically correct. The Governing Council believes that the probe commission was properly constituted in accordance with the IPL Operational Rules, and has consequently decided that an appeal should be filed in the Honourable Supreme Court. This decision having been made, Mr. N. Srinivasan rejoined the meeting and, in the light of the pending appeal to the Supreme Court, requested Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya to continue discharging his functions at the BCCI for the present. 1418 IST: Ratnakar Shetty says that Srinivasan recused himself from the IPL Governing Council. But there is a problem with that.  1357 IST: The BCCI working committee meeting was postponed as the board was divided over president-in-exile Narayanswamy Srinivasan chairing the meet here Friday. Sources told IANS that according to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) constitution, the committee cannot meet twice in a week. The committee met last Sunday in Kolkata when the two-member probe panel submitted its report giving a clean chit to Chennai Super Kings team principal Gurunath Meiyappan, also Srinivasan’s son-in-law, and Rajasthan Royals’ co-owner Raj Kundra, in the Indian Premier League (IPL) spot-fixing and betting scandal. Despite the Bombay High Court terming the panel illegal Monday, Srinivasan was determined to return as the board president. He had earlier had stepped aside, giving the powers to interim chief Jagmohan Dalmiya, after Meiyappan was arrested by the Mumbai police on charges of betting. The BCCI president was adamant on presiding over Friday’s meeting but the board was divided over his presence. Srinivasan had a lengthy meeting with senior BCCI members Arun Jaitley and Rajeev Shukla before the IPL governing council meeting that was to be followed by the working committee meeting. Reports also said that Srinivasan gate-crashed the IPL governing council meeting despite not being a part of it. - IANS 1339 IST: Also reports that BCCI will move Supreme Court against Bombay High Court’s order which declared spot-fixing probe ‘illegal’. Strange. Why do this if IPL probe panel report was not endorsed by the IPL GC. According to CNN-IBN sources, BCCI Working Committee members were sending texts to IPL GC members asking them ‘what the hell is happening?’ 1332 IST: Senior BCCI members – including two senior VP’s threatened to resign according to reports and that’s what stayed Srinivasan’s hand. The members, as Niranjan Shah, had mentioned yesterday were concerned about the BCCI’s image. There is also talk of a new probe panel to reinvestigate to match-fixing and spot-fixing scandal. According to Times Now, the BCCI Secy. and the BCCI Treasurer will be part of the panel. 1318 IST: Srinivasan wanted to attend the IPL GC meeting but the Working Committee members ganged up against him. As BCCI president, Srinivasan could have attended the meeting as ex-officio member but they said because there was a conflict of interest. According to CNN-IBN report: IPL probe panel report not endorsed by the IPL GC. 1316 IST: BCCI Working Committee meet called off according to CNN-IBN reports. The metting was called off after members revolted against Srinivasan, who called off the metting to avoid a confrontation. Still very early, but the BCCI ‘Postponed’ the meeting. No date for the next Working Committee meet has been mentioned. So will Dalmiya continue as interim president? Well, on current evidence he will.

  1259 IST: The IPL GC has just ended. Time for the Working Committee meeting now. Time for the fireworks to begins. Shukla chaired the IPL GC meeting but Srinivasan did barge in for a while. 1231 IST: Srinivasan has gate-crashed the IPL Governing Council meet, according to CNN-IBN. He isn’t part of the 8-member GC but he’s still there. Senior BCCI officials are upset but are they helpless too. As BCCI president he can attend the meeting but does that mean he has taken over already? 1208 IST: Punjab Cricket Association president I S Bindra, one of Srinivasan’s foremost critics will not be attenting the Working Committee metting, says CNN-IBN. 1203 IST: They keep talking about dissent. But of course, there is dissent – there are people who don’t like Srinivasan. But Srinivasan has the majority. Can dissent mean anything at all? 1148 IST: According to CNN-IBN, tensions are rising in the meeting. But they will take Srinivasan on only after the meet is over. 1140 IST: More hysteria. Srinivasan shakes hands with IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla. And TV channels tell us about how frigid it seemed. But even though Shukla’s resignation has been turned down: One needs to question who had the authority to do so?

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  1127 IST: Now that Srinivasan has gone inside. Things are quiet. But here’s how things are going to go according to the Indian Express. “The way things stand, Jagmohan Dalmiya will start the meeting by saying that he was given the charge till the internal probe was over. Now that the report has been submitted, it’s time for the members to decide the future course of action. Then a member is expected to propose Srinivasan’s name to chair the meeting and another will second it,” a senior BCCI official told Indian Express. 1112 IST: We all might be getting pretty worked up about Srinivasan but it’s hard to really get angry with him. Here’s what he said yesterday: “Will you allow me to go to my car… I am entitled to go, allow me to go. I just got hit by this camera. You cannot hit me like this with the camera. It’s not ok with me.”

  1112 IST: There is a lot of dissent and opposition against Srinivasan and it will be interesting to see if they all come together to oust Srinivasan. But the same was being said last time round and nothing happened. 1106 IST: ‘Srinivasan has gone inside!!!!’ screams Times Now. He is attending the IPL Governing Council meeting for now. We don’t know whether he will chair the meeting. And Boria Majumdar adds: “Srinivasan can go in, of course he can go in.” 1100 IST: According to Times Now, the BCCI top brass is already in a huddle ahead of the Working Committee meet. Srinivasan and Jaitley are meeting the BCCI lawyers to work out the way ahead. 1030 IST: According to a report in the Times of India, BCCI vice-president Arun Jaitley is expected to play a significant role today. He played a key role in convincing Srinivasan to step aside in the first place and will be charged with getting a compromise formula in place. 1015 IST: If this NDTV report is to be believed, the meeting will take place after 1205 IST. That’s because Srinivasan’s pundits have told him that the time from 10 AM to noon is unlucky for him. 1000 IST: Niranjan Shah has just been seen arriving in New Delhi for the meeting. The spotlight is on him considering the comments he made earlier. Updates from last night The BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel today put all speculation to rest by stating that N Srinivasan will be chairing today’s working committee meeting of the BCCI.” “He (Srinivasan) is the BCCI chief and he has already started working. There is no confusion as to who will chair tomorrow’s working committee meeting. Nobody till now has forced Mr Srinivasan to resign,” Patel told reporters. Asked whether a fresh probe panel will be formed by the BCCI as demanded by one of the senior vice-presidents Niranjan Shah, Patel gave a terse reply, “I have got nothing to do with it. Ask Niranjan Shah about it! Any decision regarding this can only be taken by the Working Committee and IPL Governing Council. If somebody is talking, it is not well.” (PTI) Click here for a detailed report.