Srinivasan will still rubber stamp all decisions, says Bindra

Chennai: Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) president IS Bindra called some of the BCCI working committee members present at the general meeting here Sunday as gutless and said that N Srinivasan, who stepped aside as the board chief, will continue to rubber stamp every decision. Cricket Asscoaition of Bengal (CAB) chief Jagmohan Dalmiya will step in as the “interim president” till the end of the probe involving the role of Srinivasan’s son-in-law, Gurunath Meiyappan, who has been arrested by the Mumbai police in the latest spot fixing row. The constituion of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has no provision for an interim position. “Srinivasan said in the meeting that there is no such thing as an interim president and said he would continue to rubber stamp all BCCI’s decision,” Bindra told reporters. [caption id=“attachment_835145” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  N Srinivasan in this file photo. AFP[/caption] “I wanted him to resign categorically, but no one had the guts to speak out, there were only whispers.” Ajay Shirke, who resigned as BCCI treasurer Friday along with secretary Sanjay Jagdale, echoed Bindra’s sentiments in an interview to a TV channel. “Dalmiya has been entrusted with the day-to-day running and affairs but whenever there is a presidential issue, Srinivasan will be consulted,” he said. “Nobody except Bindra and myself and a couple of others questioned this arrangement. At the end of the day, this has been carried through.” “What I understand at a simple level, I don’t think this works legally, but bigger leaders have suggested this. I don’t want to act pricey or displease anyone, but I cannot continue,” Shirke said. Shirke also categorically said he would not return to his position as BCCI treasurer and thought the meeting Sunday was a step backward. Bindra also said that BCCI vice president and BJP leader Arun Jaitley, who joined the meeting via a video link, had his way and said that he had made most of the suggestions. “Jaitley has had his way, and made most of the suggestions during the meeting, including to appoint Dalmiya,” Bindra said. “This is unconstitutional, majority of the members had told me personally during lunch that they wanted him (Srinivas) to resign but did not have the guts to speak out,” he added. “I have no complaint over the appointment of Dalmiya but I’m unhappy with the process.” Bindra said that he had asked Dalmiya not to take up the position but the latter said “he needed to take the responsibility”. IANS