Shashank Manohar

BCCI

Jagmohan Dalmiya

Sharad Pawar

Africa

Lalit Modi

Formerpresident Shashank Manohar, known for his integrity and impeccable track record in cricketing circles, has said N Srinivasan has no right to continue as the BCCI president and that he should have resigned the moment his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was arrested in connection with match-fixing.Manohar, often called Mr Clean and said to be the best president the BCCI ever had, said by brazening it out, Srinivasan has betrayed a lack of self-esteem and conscience. Manohar, who has never given an interview in his 25 years as an administrator, flew down from Nagpur to meet this correspondent on Wednesday.His candid remarks are seen as the first salvo aimed at Srinivasan from within the opaque corridors of the BCCI, the world’s richest board that virtually runs the cricketing universe.Srinivasan has been under fire since June, when first the Delhi police, and then the Mumbai police, exposed how matches were being fixed in the Indian Premier League.The clamour for Srinivasan’s resignation reached a fever-pitch when Mumbai police arrested his son-inlaw Meiyappan in connection with fixing. But till Sunday, it had seemed like Srinivasan had taken an indestructible hold on the BCCI by crushing opponents at the first sign of dissidence. Coming two days after the Supreme Court observed that “something is seriously wrong with the apex body controlling cricket”, Manohar’s comments indicate that the tide may yet turn against Srinivasan.Srinivasan has no right to continue as president,” said Manohar. “If you had the slightest of conscience, self-esteem and care for the board, you ought to have put in your papers the moment your son-in-law was arrested. You did nothing and as a result the board’s reputation has taken a hit to the extent that the people have lost faith in this board.”Manohar also claimed that board members, including interim president, had requested him to contest the election for BCCI president. This runs contrary to the belief that Srinivasan had his house in order and had the election in the bag.“Many people, including Mr Dalmiya, requested me to come back and contest,” Manohar said at the Trident hotel on Marine Drive.“I left the board two years back and I have not entered its premises again. I have no intention to come back. I said if all the members want me, I will not shirk the responsibility. This board has given me a lot and I was willing to give something back.”He said Srinivasan’s corrupt practices had tarnished the reputation of the BCCI, built so well by past presidents like Dalmiya, AC Muttiah,, IS Bindra and Madhavrao Scindia. “This board has been built over the years by very many people but its reputation has been damaged by this man (Srinivasan) in a span of four months.”Manohar also said there was lot of evidence to show Meiyappan’s link to the Chennai Super Kings. “There is a lot of evidence of Meiyappan being the team principal. The truth will come out. I don’t have to state this. It is afact. He has been charge-sheeted and the law will take its own course, but the evidence is very much there,” he said.Manohar said the autocratic Srinivasan has no intention of cleaning up the mess the board is in and that he only wants to shield those close to him. “He is trying to shield everybody, his team included,” said Manohar. “He does not want to clean this mess. If my son was in Srinivasan’s position, I would have asked him to resign. Srinivasan is an autocrat and wants all the power for himself.He told the media that his son-inlaw was just ‘an enthusiast.’ His counsel argued before the courts that Srinivasan did not choose his son-in-law but his daughter did. It is laughable. A person who cannot defend his family member has no right to say he will take responsibility of the board.”Manohar also blamed Srinivasan for all of BCCI’s legal troubles, especially the cases regarding flouting of RBI norms when the IPL was held in Southin 2009.“Despite a working committee decision, Srinivasan did not take the RBI’s permission and entered into an agreement with Cricket South Africa whereby they transferred money directly to CSA,” revealed Manohar.“It led to all the cases. But remember, not just the IPL 2 mess, even today’s mess is his doing. I am not saying this. The whole country, including the Supreme Court, is saying this.”Manohar also took exception to the manner in which Sunday’s BCCI AGM, chaired by Srinivasan, condemned him for individually filing an affidavit in the Bombay High Court seeking relief from the cases pertaining to his term as BCCI chief.“Till today I’ve kept myself away from the board,” said Manohar. “But my silence should not be taken as a weakness. I’ve committed no wrong. I’ve a clean image and nobody doubts my integrity. I only went to the court because some board members, particularly Srinivasan, did not act as per the collective decisions of the working committee.”If Srinivasan was so obsessed with collective responsibility, Manohar said, he should have resigned for Lalit Modi’s acts. “Why did you punish Lalit Modi? Because his actions were contrary to the rules of the board. If Srinivasan talks of collective responsibility, then why did he, as an office-bearer, not take responsibility in thecase and resign?”