Srinivasan dumped as International Cricket Council chairman

Dubai. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) removed N. Srinivasan as the chairman of the International Cricket Council. The decision taken at the BCCI’s Annual General Meeting in Mumbai on Monday thus put an end to a shameful era in Indian cricket with Srinivasan holding on to the highest post in the world cricket body despite being removed by an Indian court from functioning as president of the BCCI.

Shashank Manohar, the newly elected president of BCCI will complete Srinivasan’s term as chairman which will end in June 2016.

The committee also appointed former ICC president Sharad Pawar as the second nominee to attend ICC meetings in case Manohar was unavailable to attend meetings.

Manohar, who is known for his impeccable track record and integrity in cricket circles, also ensured that anyone with conflict of interest is removed from their position to ensure a clean image for the BCCI.

The meeting thus removed Ravi Shastri from IPL governing council to avoid any conflict of interest as he is currently Team India’s Director till ICC Twenty20 World Cup in March-April next year. Roger Binny was also replaced as selector with former India wicketkeeper MSK Prasad. Binny’s son Stuart Binny is playing for the national team and hence Manohar wanted a fairer system of selection.

It is understood that Manohar has come out with a 29 point agenda to remove conflict of interest at all levels within the BCCI. Removing Srinivasan from ICC was the first on his agenda as the IPL spot fixing and betting cases in 2013 had tarnished the imagine of Indian cricket with Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan found guilty of betting and Srinivasan being ruled by the court of having conflict of interest as owner of the Chennai Super Kings. Srinivasan who was thus the King Maker of Indian cricket till recently will thus remain as only the president of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association with even his team Chennai Super Kings suspended for two years from IPL following its officials found guilty of betting in the IPL.

Manohar wanted to ensure that cricketers on the payroll of the BCCI or holding contracts with BCCI shall not be in any BCCI committees. Last week Sundar Raman, the Chief Operating Officer of the IPL was removed, though in paper, he had resigned. It is understood that Manohar had asked Raman, who was a strong supporter of Srinivasan, to submit his resignation before end of the month.

In the senior selection committee Rajinder Singh Hans from the Central Zone was replaced by Gagan Khoda. Former Indian pacer and bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad was appointed as chairman of junior selection committee.

Another decision of the committee is the appointment of former India captain and current Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Sourav Ganguly replacing Anil Kumble as the chairman of BCCI’s technical committee. The BCCI also named Visakhapatnam, Ranchi, Indore, Pune and Rajkot as the five new venues for hosting Test cricket.