N Srinivasan, the newly-appointed president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, brushes aside allegations of conflict of interest of him holding the top BCCI post and owning IPL side Chennai Super Kings. He tells CNN-IBN Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai that he doesn't own the franchise; it is India Cements that has the ownership rights.
Srinivisan also insisted that the decision to axe Kochi from the IPL is irreversible, and whether a new team should replace the Kerala franchise is not in his hands.
Excerpts:
On Kochi Tuskers's IPL termination
See, the decision to terminate was taken at the meeting of Annual General Meeting yesterday. This is because as I said yesterday of a breach which is not capable of being remedied. So the BCCI has encashed the bank guarantee and has terminated the franchise.
Whether it will be 9-team affair it's for the IPL governing council to take a call at their next meeting, which I hope, is soon.
I can't decide that on my own; it's a decision of the IPL governing council and for BCCI as a whole to take.'India Cements owns Chennai Super Kings; I don't own it'
On conflict of interest
I don't make up the Governing Council. There are eminent people and I will observe all propriety as far as the IPL franchisee is concerned.
India Cements, the public limited company, owns Chennai Super Kings; I don't own it!
I don't have any personal conflict of interest at all. All members take decisions in BCCI at the AGM or the Executive committee unanimously. In Governing Council, if any matter on franchisee issue comes up I would excuse myself.'Players' interest will be safeguarded'
On players affected by Kochi's ouster
What will be the consequences of the termination and the future of the players, as well as whether to play with 9 teams, all these will be decided by the IPL Governing Gouncil.
Players' interest will be safeguarded.
BCCI will not leave the players in lurch. We will find an equitable solution that is viable both for the players and the BCCI.'A little bad luck that England played well'
On the England tour
I agree that we lost badly, and who watched the matches are aware about the reasons. We had far more injuries than we had in the past during a single tour. We did not have a full strength team to begin with, and a little bad luck that England played well.
It's too early to write off the team or to criticise the team whom we praised to the sky two months ago.
Our team played little bit more than other teams, but not the all players. Many of them played only 50-60 percent of the total number of days. Senior players are professionals and they know their bodies the best. If they feel to take rest, the board would grant it, and in the past the board has granted them rest.
Playing for India is more important and that will be the priority. IPL franchisees have been asked to inform the BCCI and the physio about the injury of any player.'We don't believe the accuracy of the technology on Hot Spot'
On DRS during the West Indies tour
In the last ICC meeting, in Hong Kong, India has agreed to use a minimum standard DRS, namely the use of Hot Spot.
The England tour has proved otherwise. We have to again take up with the ICC that the decision taken at Hong Kong has to be reversed. We presently don't believe the accuracy of the technology on Hot Spot. We have to convince others about our viewpoint.
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