The BCCI on Sunday expressed its helplessness in controlling bookies but defended the continuation of the IPl format by proposing additional measures to check corruption in the game like appointing an anti-corruption office with each IPl franchisee and providing accreditation to the agents of players.
An emergency meeting of the BCCI resorted to damage control owing to investigations casting a cloud over a large number of IPl matches held so far. The BCCI, however, claimed it had no information from the police over the involvement of other teams or players.
It was decided that the Rajasthan Royals team management will be free to proceed with lodging a criminal case against the three tainted players. BCCI president N Srinivasan said, “We are advised the BCCI by itself cannot lodge an FIR. The franchise will do. We will go by the report of the disciplinary committee.”
Meanwhile, spotlight came on the role of BCCI with Union Minister Ajay Maken demanding the cricket board to be brought under RTI as a measure to check corruption in sports.
Maken, who was previously Sports Minister in his tweet said, “BCCI should agree to come under RTI. Any organization entrusted with job of selecting a national team cannot call itself a private body.” But Srinivasan rubbished this suggestion.
“We are a private organization, we don't get funds from the government, the RTI will not apply to us. If three players want to make money, RTI cannot stop it. We will continue to hold our view on this,” the BCCI chief said.
Srinivasan, who spoke to reporters after the meeting, distanced both the Board and IPl from the current taint and instead laid the blame on the three players and bookies. “We are handicapped when it comes to control over bookies,” he said, adding that the Board exercised control only over the players “to some extent”.
The BCCI appointed its anti-corruption chief Ravi Sawani as the commissioner of inquiry and has told him to file his report at the earliest. “It (the inquiry) is an internal inquiry. We might need some information from the police,” Srinivasan said.
“The Working Committee decided henceforth all player agents have to be accredited by the BCCI,” Srinivasan said. An ACSU (Anti-Corruption and Security Unit) official along with a security officer will be provided to each team. Besides, “access to the players would be monitored,” he added.
Srinivasan also dismissed as incorrect the claim made by former IPl Commissioner lalit Modi on having alerted BCCI of spot fixing in the game. “The ICC ACSU has confirmed that they had not informed us of anything. That information is incorrect,” Srinivasan said.
Asked whether legalizing betting would curb corruption, Srinivasan had an open take on the issue. Admitting that it's a separate topic of debate, he said, “In other countries they have legalized and it has helped but I do not know about India.”
Ends