The latest scandal in the Indian Premier League has hit the Board of Control for Cricket in India top brass so hard that the state units have now started questioning N Srinivasan's authority and in all likelihood will seek opinion of former president Shashank Manohar on the latest fiasco.
According to top BCCI officials, Manohar's advice on the way forward and his opinion on Srinivasan's "future" as the BCCI supremo will carry a lot of weight in the coming days.
"Some of the state units are already in touch with each other and we want to speak to Mr Manohar on this issue. He has been BCCI's most trusted 'go-to' man as well as trouble shooter. Although his opinion is neither binding nor final, but it does carry a lot of weight among BCCI's affiliated units," a member of the BCCI working committee said.
When asked about the reasons for discussing with Manohar, the official said, "Manohar has a very clean image as the BCCI president.
On a personal level, his honesty and integrity along with fairness in decision making has always been respected by the BCCI officials. Also he is the man who has always backed Srinivasan through thick and thin."
"Even Jagmohan Dalmiya was ousted from BCCI on charges of corruption, ditto with Lalit Modi. Why should Srinivasan be an exception?" the official questioned.
Manohar has also helped out BCCI with legal inputs when they decided to terminate Kochi Tuskers Kerala's contract for non-payment of franchisee fees. He also was one of the mediators when Sahara threatened to pull-out before the IPL V after not being allowed to field an extra foreign player.
The reports of BCCI president's son-in-law and CSK team principal Gurunath Meiyappan's proximity to small-time Bollywood actor Vindoo Dara Singh, who has been arrested for his alleged links with bookies, has been a cause of embarrassment for the BCCI officials.
When a BCCI official from a northern Indian unit was asked whether there is a chance of Srinivasan tendering his resignation, he said," He won't tender at the moment, unless things get worse from here. Come September (BCCI AGM), you never know what happens."
Photograph: Arko Datta/Reuters
