JUNE 1- There have been seismic developments within the BCCI. First, it was treasurer Ajay Shirke who quit and then it was the secretary Sanjay Jagdale who resigned on Friday over the IPL spot-fixing scandal.
After the resignations of the top officials of the Board, pressure is piling up on N. Srinivasan like never before. Why Sanjay Jagdale’s resignation is particularly significant is because he is also part of the three-member panel that was set up by the BCCI to probe the fixing and betting racket. Sanjay Jagdale spoke to Headlines Today and said that he is “hurt”.
“I have resigned from the post of secretary of the BCCI. I am deeply hurt with the recent developments in Indian cricket. Let some new faces come and take the responsibility,” Jagdale said.
Shirke also said: “Yes, I have resigned. I have spelt out my reason to the media several times and don’t want to comment any more.”
Shirke had been saying for the past few days that N. Srinivasan should step down on moral grounds in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal in which his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was arrested.
According to our sources, a massive midnight coup is being planned against the BCCI president, who sticks to his post, resolute. After Shirke and Jagdale, all the top officials are likely to step down one by one. A majority of the BCCI office bearers have now reached Mumbai where the latest plans have been firmed up.
So what happens next? Reports suggest that after Shirke and Jagdale, the likes of Anurag Thakur and Arun Jaitley will be tendering their resignations.
Sources said, if Srinivasan doesn’t quit voluntarily within 3-4 days, an AGM will be called to impeach the BCCI president. The BCCI has called a meeting on the 8th of June to decide if it has the numbers to impeach Srinivasan.
It’s all a matter of time now. Srinivasan’s support within the Board has slipped dramatically and now there is a real prospect that he could be impeached if he resists the pressure to quit on moral grounds over the spot-fixing row.
Top BCCI sources also said that Srinivasan has been told to quit till the probe in IPL fixing mess involving Chennai Super Kings and Gurunath Meiyappan is complete. He, however, has been assured that
he can make a comeback if Gurunath and CSK are given a clean chit.
However, Srinivasan is adamant and feels that he has enough support to cling to his post in the Board. According to reports, Srinivasan told Board officials that resignations won’t change anything. “I am prepared to face the peers in the Board meeting. I won’t step down,” he said.
Srinivasan may be playing a victim in BCCI but that is unlikely to help his cause now, as numbers within the Board seem to be heavily stacked up against him.
Jaitley, Shukla’s silence tactical or political
Top BCCI functionaries Arun Jaitley and Rajiv Shukla are also under fire from Sharad Pawar for not opposing Srinivasan. The Pawar camp alleged that Jaitley and Shukla’s silence is helping Srinivasan stay put in his chair.
The Jaitley camp, however, has refuted the allegations.
Both the camps claim their silence is strategic and will eventually result in Srinivasan’ ouster.
