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Is Gavaskar right man for the job?
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VP hints Srinivasan’s position as ICC chairman not sure
SC, not BCCI, only hope for cricket now
special coverage
Sammy hopes to silence chirpy Oz in crucial game
Proteas survive Dutch fright; England beat SL
Team Asia no match for Europeans
Nishikori stuns Fed to reach semis
Vishy settles for draw
Lalit Modi backs Manohar, wants IPL7 be scrapped
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Is Gavaskar right man for the job?
New Delhi, March 27 Gavaskar's credentials as a cricketer are unquestionable but the 'original' little master, who is himself on the payroll of the BCCI, can't be expected to clear the dirt in the BCCI. The batting legend has given his consent to the latest directive from the Supreme Court by stating that he is willing to take over the role of the interim BCCI president in an interview to NDTV, with which he has a lucrative contract. However, Gavaskar may not have realised that he is a non-constitutional member of the board and, as such, does not qualify for the position technically. The only way for Gavaskar to become the BCCI president is for the Supreme Court to pass an order. Going by the rule book and BCCI's constitution, the Board's vice-president from the southern region, Shivlal Yadav, is the only eligible candidate to take over the reins from Srinivasan. Gavaskar is contracted with the BCCI as a television commentator. When asked whether he was willing to give up his commentary assignments, he said he would be “happy” to do the job, which he described as a huge privilege. In the interview, Gavaskar showed his willingness to clean up the system on the Supreme Court's directive, but it was clear that he also acted as the BCCI's mouthpiece in the same telecast. He was protective of Srinivasan, stating that the Tamil Nadu strongman has still not been proved guilty. It should be noted that Justice Mudgal had observed that Srinivasan had not told him the truth about the CSK's management pattern. Gavaskar also seemed averse to the idea of banning the IPL and barring Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals from IPL 7, as suggested by the Supreme Court. Gavaskar has been part of the BCCI system; he is widely recognised as the mouthpiece of the BCCI. As a commentator, Gavaskar earns Rs 2.5 crore as a paid employee of the cricket board. Gavaskar has been vocal in supporting Srinivasan in the past. Last year, when the IPL match-fixing and betting scandal broke out, Gavaskar was among the first to support Srinivasan, who had drawn flak for not quitting the post after the arrest of his son-in-law, Gurunath Meiyappan. However, Aditya Verma, whose petition against Srinivasan has brought the BCCI chief so much trouble, has expressed satisfaction over the proposal to name Gavaskar the interim president. “I am happy with the Supreme Court's decision. The apex court has given a right decision to clean up the game,” Verma told The Tribune. “Srinivasan must leave his position for the betterment of cricket. The Supreme Court made the right decision in announcing the name of Sunil Gavaskar as Srinivasan's replacement. I am happy with the decision.” Board shouldn't have let Srini buy IPL team: Ravi Sawant
BCCI vice-president Ravi Sawant said that Narayanaswami Srinivasan should never have been allowed to buy an IPL franchise in the first place. "Srinivasan shouldn't have been allowed to buy an IPL franchise. There is a definite conflict of interest there," Sawant said. Sawant said that the BCCI would abide by any decision of the Supreme Court, but when it comes to choosing an interim president it would follow its constitution and the due process.
— PTI |
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VP hints Srinivasan’s position as ICC chairman not sure
Mirpur, March 27 Mustafa Kamal, the ICC vice-president who will soon take over as the president, feels the decision could be reviewed in the ICC’s next meeting should the body feel the need to do so. “Normally, the ICC has no option but to accept the person nominated by his home board. In this case, however, in view of the new events, the ICC might be interested in reviewing the situation if it feels the need to do so,” said the ICC vice-president. With the court passing adverse remarks against the beleaguered BCCI chief and directing him to step down, there’s every possibility that the ICC would like to have a relook on Srinivasan becoming its first chairman. And there’s already a precedent wherein a Sri Lanka Cricket president, Thilanga Sumathipala, had to give up his position with the ICC after his name cropped up in a betting scandal. He was found guilty of breaching section 7.2 of the ICC's Code of Ethics. Having said that the ICC “might be interested in reviewing the situation", the president-in-waiting said “stepping aside or down” does not automatically debar the beleaguered BCCI chief from assuming his new position. “As per the ICC constitution, only a person who has been found guilty by a court of law and has been awarded punishment becomes automatically ineligible to hold any post with the ICC,” said Kamal. That might offer Srinivasan an escape route to the ICC for the inquiry and the verdict might take long time in coming. But then, with the number of his supporters within the BCCI on the wane, will the board want him to represent them in the
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SC, not BCCI, only hope for cricket now
Thank God for small mercies — N Srinivasan is ready to 'step aside' (not step down!), as he did last year too, to ensure a fair probe into the IPL betting and spot-fixing scandal.
However, the Supreme Court dismissed the BCCI's promise to take corrective measures based on the recommendations of the Justice Mudgal report. The court has said it will "pass an order" if Srinivasan doesn't step down. If the Supreme Court indeed passes an order against Srinivasan, his career as a sports administrator will be ruined. Morally, he will lose face to represent India at the ICC. The Supreme Court has said it will pass an order on the spot-fixing and betting scandal tomorrow and has proposed that former India captain Sunil Gavaskar could take over as the interim chief of the BCCI. It has also suggested that two IPL teams, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, should not be part of IPL-7 as they are being investigated. The Supreme Court also wants no one associated with Srinivasan's company, India Cements, to be part of BCCI or the IPL. India Cements owns CSK and it employs Indian skipper Dhoni and Sunder Raman, the man who runs the IPL. I really wonder if there is any respect left for any institution in India. How is it that the BCCI has come to believe that it is above the law of the land? The reason for BCCI's arrogance lies in its own assumed independence and its financial clout, which has attracted politicians and small-time businessmen in droves. The constitution of BCCI, as indeed that of state associations, allows the same guys to have a vice-like grip on the associations. Many of the associations, by virtue of being Section 25 (not for profit) companies, abuse the system of proxies, and retain control by controlling the memberships. In Delhi, a cricketers' alliance, which has spearheaded the struggle against DDCA, had petitioned Parliament and had got an SFIO (Serious Fraud Investigation Office) team constituted to probe specific complaints of mal-governance, misappropriation and fraud. The committee indicted the DDCA on 23 counts under the Companies Act and for 13 cases of unauthorised construction. With weak laws, their clout and money power, DDCA has managed to remain immune to criminal action by compounding several cases for a total of Rs 1.33 lakhs. Nearly Rs 150 crores has been swindled, yet no serious harm has come to them so far. This is precisely the reason why the BCCI is such a cosy club. Thirty-one state associations are meant to have a free run with Rs 30 crores each that they get from BCCI every year. Regional satraps form a formidable alliance with their BCCI chief in a quid pro quo — 'you scratch my back, I will scratch yours' is the dictum. BCCI uses India in their logo, uses public land for stadiums, uses state security for conducting matches, yet doesn't want to come under the RTI Act! The politicians who are now entrenched in the BCCI ensure that the government cannot act against it. The IPL chief last year was a Union Minister. What is the way out? The Supreme Court is the only hope for cricket. If it orders its own monitored inquiry, on the lines of the Justice Mudgal committee probe, the truth will come tumbling out. In the meantime, a person of the eminence and credibility of Bishan Singh Bedi or Mohinder Amarnath should be asked to run the BCCI's affairs. The public will then look forward to clean cricket. The writer is a former India cricketer |
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Captain Cool facing the heat
Dhoni’s name was brought up in Supreme Court on Thursday Subhash Rajta in Mirpur
THERE was one visible difference between India’s warm-up football sessions held on either side of the momentous happenings in the Supreme Court on Thursday. In the first session, held on Wednesday afternoon, India skipper MS Dhoni played as a forward and pumped in three goals in a matter of few minutes. On Thursday afternoon, a few hours after the court made some stinging observations on the affairs of Indian cricket, the skipper opted to play as a defender, repelling the attacks launched by the opposition forwards. The switch from an attacking to a defensive position looks quite appropriate when seen in the context of what transpired in the court on Thursday. With Harish Salve accusing him of “corrupt conduct” (the lawyer accused him of lying to the Mudgal Commission and of a conflict of interest in his role as India cements vice-president, CSK skipper and India captain), the India skipper will have a fair bit of defending to do, regardless of the legitimacy of the allegations. While everyone and everything appeared normal during the practice session, it would be naďve to be taken in by this pretence of normalcy. Even if one has nerves of steel, which Dhoni of course has, it’s impossible not to be bothered after being accused of “corrupt conduct” in the highest court of the land. Behind his cool and composed exterior, there must have been a storm of anxiety brewing in his mind, the fear of where he would be after all this is over gnawing at his heart. And there were a few pointers suggesting that the Indian skipper was at least a little uncomfortable. First up, he avoided the media by not coming for the pre-match interaction (normally a captain addresses the media on the eve of the game); and then India’s media manager, Dr RN Baba, making it clear that no questions would be entertained on the issue. With the skipper caught in a spot of bother, the team, too, is bound to feel the heat. Rohit Sharma, who addressed the media, however, tried his best to deflect the controversy as a non-issue for the team ahead of their match against Bangladesh on Friday. “We haven’t talked about it, it’s important to focus. We have got a big job on hand right now. When we came here, we were very determined to win this tournament and we’re definitely on our way to doing that. We’ve won two out of two. At the moment, the focus is on tomorrow’s game,” he said. Despite Rohit Sharma making it sound like a non-issue, the team would be thankful for the fact that they are facing Bangladesh, not some heavyweight, on Friday. The hosts are under tremendous pressure after the loss against West Indies and India couldn’t have hoped for a better opposition than the hosts under current circumstances. Yet, it’s not going to be an easy contest. India not only need to beat them; they need to win handsomely to improve their net run rate which could prove decisive if the teams are tied at equal points after the league stage. “If we win this we’re probably safe but we’ll definitely keep this run rate issue in mind,” said Rohit. One can’t, however, be sure, for India were out of contention for the semis after losing just one game in 2012.
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India looking for three in a row
Mirpur, March 27 The two teams are, however, having troubles off the field and that could put them on an even keel when they slug it out on Friday. While India will be distracted by the events back home, the Bangladesh side is struggling with the reports of friction in the side, the pressure of expectations from their fans and the board losing patience with them. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president, after their loss to West Indies on Tuesday, declared that there would be massive changes in the entire set-up after the tournament was over. The team, obviously wilting under pressure, is not talking about winning; it seems to be focusing on just trying to be a little more competitive. Given India’s current form, they would have steamrolled the opposition so drained and discouraged. But their own off-the-field troubles could take away that advantage, and make it a fight amongst the equals. As far as the team composition is concerned, India are unlikely to make any changes. The only question could have been on Yuvraj but the team seems to be backing him at the moment. “For a batsman like him, it’s just a matter of one innings to get back to his best. He has been playing for so many years; he knows how to bat in this format and he has been a great player for us in the past,” said Rohit Sharma. Victory against Bangladesh will take India closer to qualifying for the semifinals. |
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Sammy hopes to silence chirpy Oz in crucial game
Mirpur, March 27 India top Group Two, having won the first two matches. West Indies are second, having beaten Bangladesh to bounce back after their loss against India, while Australia are fourth having lost their first match to Pakistan. Australian all-rounder James Faulkner has already added spice to the important contest after Australian media quoted him as saying he does not particularly like the West Indies team. "The Australians normally have a lot to say," Sammy said when asked for a reaction. "We (are) just here to play cricket. I think James is the only cricketer who does not love West Indies. I could safely say that West Indies are the second favourite team for the fans (after their home team).” "It doesn't bother us. Talk is talk. We just got to walk the talk out there on the field. He can say all he wants. We're not bothered by it," said the all-rounder. Eventual champions West Indies thumped Australia by 74 runs in the semifinal of the 2012 tournament in Sri Lanka and Sammy said his team was getting close their best. "So far in the tournament we've not played to our full potential. Once we do that, we'd be very destructive and we were destructive in that semifinal (in the) last World Cup." The importance of Friday's contest was not lost on Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin either. "You know exactly where you stand now. There is no second chance for us," said Haddin, hoping Australia would continue the momentum from their recent Ashes and South Africa Test series victory. "We got to make sure we bring our A game and play under the pressure. We have done that well over the last four months and I see no reason why we can't do that."
— Reuters |
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Proteas survive Dutch fright; England beat SL
Chittagong, March 27 Chasing 146 to win, opener Steven Myburgh (51) gave them a flying start as he thumped eight fours and two sixes in a 28-ball knock. However, after Myburgh played a ball from spinner JP Duminy on to his stumps the Dutch produced a series of rash shots and lost wickets at regular intervals. Leg-spinner Imran Tahir claimed four for 21 while Dale Steyn picked up two for 19. Earlier, Ahsan Malik’s five for 19 restricted South Africa to 145 for nine after they were put in to bat. Hashim Amla gave South Africa a brisk start with 43 off 22 balls. They then lost wickets in clusters against Malik’s medium pace bowling and struggled for momentum towards the end of the innings. Brief scores: South Africa 145-9 (Amla 43; Malik 5/19) bt Netherlands 139 all out in 18.4 overs (Myburgh 51; Tahir 4/21, Steyn 2/19). Hales’ heroics An extraordinary century by Alex Hales rescued England after they dropped several catches in the field as the team kept alive their bid to reach the semifinals with a six-wicket win over Sri Lanka. Hales lashed six sixes in a remarkable unbeaten 64-ball 116 in Bangladesh, the final one way over mid-wicket in the last over by Angelo Mathews, giving his side victory with four balls to spare after being set a huge target of 190. Brief scores: Sri Lanka 189-4 (Jayawardene 89, Dilshan 55; Jordan 2/28, Dernbach 2/42); England 190/4 in 19.2 overs (Hales 116*, Morgan 57; Kulasekara 4/32). — Reuters
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Team Asia no match for Europeans
Chandigarh, March 27 The key match of the day, between the two captains, saw the European partnership of skipper Miguel Angel Jimenez and Pablo Larrazabal defeat Team Asia captain Thongchai Jaidee and his Thai team member Kiradech Apnibarnrat. Jimenez led by example, making two eagles and three birdies and the Europeans were two up with one to play after 18 holes. Meanwhile, Gagnjeet Bhullar and Anirban Lahiri did not fare well either. They lost the first hole to an eagle inspite of a birdie by Bhullar, lost the fifth to a birdie, the par-five 11th to an eagle and the next to a birdie, which saw them four down after 12 holes. Anirban birdied the par-four 13th to win the hole but they lost the next to yet another birdie which also concluded the match 4-3. |
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Nishikori stuns Fed to reach semis
Miami, March 27 After knocking off fourth seeded Spaniard David Ferrer in a three-hour marathon on Tuesday, the 21st ranked Japanese was forced to go the distance again, surviving a two-hour centre court battle with Federer. Nishikori has been one of Federer's few bogeymen, having now gotten the better of the Swiss maestro in two of their three career meetings. "To beat Roger, and it's second time to beat him... I thought I really played well, especially in the third," Nishikori told reporters. "I was hitting both deep and striking well. Everything was going well. "There was couple of tough moments, but I was fighting through and happy to win today.” Arriving in south Florida riding the momentum from a finals appearance at Indian Wells, Federer had been in superb form, cruising into the Miami quarter-finals without dropping a set, highlighted by 49 minute fourth round win over Richard Gasquet.
— Agencies |
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Vishy settles for draw
Miami, March 27 The five-time World Champion benefitted from results on other boards to maintain his lead with just two rounds to come in the tournament that decides the challenger for the next world championship match. Armenian Levon Aronian failed to break the ice against Russian Vladimir Kramnik and drew while Azeri Shakhriyar Mamedyarov's wild opening choice also ended up giving him just a half point against Sergey Karjakin of Russia.
— PTI |
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Lalit Modi backs Manohar, wants IPL7 be scrapped New Delhi, March 27 Backing former BCCI chief Shashank Manohar’s views that the IPL has lost its credibility, Modi said in a statement, “One meticulous probe be conducted immediately and all the erring parties be punished so that we are able to purge cricket and initiate a complete clean up, so that this generation and all future generations to come are able to view the gentleman’s game in right earnest.” It’s interesting to know that Srinivasan was the secretary and Manohar the president when BCCI had suspended Modi in 2010 after the IPL season 3 on allegations of financial bungling. Later, he was expelled by the BCCI from all cricketing activities. Modi, who is now based in London and living the life of a fugitive, said, “I completely agree with Mr. Shashank Manohar and his observations on the fact that the serious allegations regarding betting, spot fixing and match fixing are all seriously tarnished the image of the game and importantly, the fans are slowly but surely starting to lose faith in the IPL in particular and game at large.” |
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