All the bluster around BCCI president N Srinivasan’s resignation fizzled out on Sunday after the Board’s Working Committee meeting in Chennai failed to force him to quit. Instead, the committee members agreed to his compromise formula that he would “step aside” during the duration of the probe into his son-in-law’s alleged betting links, and return as president if nothing goes against him.
The word “resignation” was not even mentioned at this meeting, a fact confirmed by BCCI vice-president Arun Jaitley in New Delhi.
In this interim period, Cricket Association of Bengal president and former BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya will take over as BCCI president to discharge the day-to-day duties of the administrative body. Dalmiya’s name was suggested by Jaitley, former IPl chairman Rajiv Shukla and Anurag Thakur and finally agreed upon despite stiff resistance from the Sharad Pawar camp which wanted Shashank Manohar to take charge of BCCI.
A brief statement issued by the Board’s honorary joint secretary Anurag Thakur after the meeting said: “Mr N Srinivasan announced that he will not discharge his duties as president of the Board till such time that the probe is completed. Till such time, Mr Jagmohan Dalmiya will conduct the day-to-day affairs of the Board.”
He added that the committee members had expressed full faith in BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale and treasurer Ajay Shirke and requested them to withdraw their resignations in the larger interest of the Board.
However, both said they had decided not to do so. “I personally cannot make out how this kind of arrangement will work. My final decision is that I cannot continue,” Shirke said after the meeting. He added that none of the attendees except him and Bindra had questioned the strange “stepping aside for a month” formula.
Despite immense pressure, a beleaguered Srinivasan didn’t show any signs to give in and get out. Instead, the India Cements boss laughed all the way from the hotel to his palatial residence on the Boat Club Road, driving out in his Ranger Rover, bearing his favourite number 9001. The BCCI mandarins, sources said, fell in line with his formula without much of a fight.
Though former BCCI president IS Bindra and Ajay Shirke told the media that they had demanded Srinivasan’s resignation, sources close to Srinivasan refuted these claims.
“There was no dissidence or opposition to him during the entire meeting. Nobody asked for his resignation,” a source close to Srinivasan said. Sixteen members of the 30-man working committee were physically present at Sunday’s meeting in Chennai while Jaitley, Shukla and Thakur joined the huddle through video-conferencing from a hotel in New Delhi and Anil Kumble from Dubai. An angry Bindra said: “Jaitley has had his way in this meeting. Most suggestions came from Jaitley, including the appointment of Dalmiya.”
“Srinivasan is not resigning. He is just stepping aside for a month. This is taking the public for a ride. We needed something more than this. I suggested him to step aside until September, but he said he is not going to resign,” Bindra said.
“...I suppose if there is a meeting of ICC, Dalmiya will go. Mr Srinivasan will not perform any function of the Board,” Bindra added.
Earlier in the day, Jaitley rejected a proposal to become interim president saying he was busy with political commitments. He, however, told reporters in Delhi that Srinivasan's decision to not interfere in the day-to-day affairs of the Board would restore its credibility to some extent.
“During the meeting, I said that the probe should be free and fair and for that a universally agreed decision needs to be taken. For the interest of the BCCI, I had asked Srinivasan at the Kolkata meeting to step aside till the probe is over and again on phone on Friday evening,” Jaitley said.
“They asked me to head (interim panel) till the probe gets over, but I refused as I am busy with other works. I proposed two names - Shashank Manohar and Jagmohan Dalmiya. As Manohar is an outsider, Dalmiya agreed to head the interim arrangement,” Jaitley added. He said, Srinivasan can return in the next Special General Body Meeting to be held in September if nothing goes against him in the probe.
He admitted that though the 'interim arrangement' was not part of the BCCI constitution, the EWC had unanimously decided to go with it as someone is needed to chair the meetings.
As for Dalmiya, who turned 73 last Friday, it was an unexpected but sweet homecoming. He had been booted out as president by the Pawar group in 2005 after allegations of misappropriation of funds surfaced against him. later, the courts cleared him of all charges.