Banning after match parties during the Indian Premier league could be one of the solutions to cleanse cricket, according to BCCI’s Working Group chief Jagmohan Dalmiya who on Monday promised to leave no stone unturned to restore the credibility of the game.
Addressing his first press conference since taking over charge from N Srinivasan who stepped aside, Dalmiya said that he will make all efforts to achieve the ultimate goal so that “the good name of cricket is retained”.
Asked whether he would consider banning after match parties in the IPl as part of his cleaning up process, he said, “One of the possibility could be that.”I don’t have any medicine that you get instant result. We don’t have any such kind of a magic. We will try our best,” he said.
The 73-year-old Dalmiya made it clear that he had powers to fill up vacancies in the Board and will await a final response from Ajay Shirke before taking decisions. “They (Jagdale and Shirke) were given 24 hours time. Initially, we requested that we have full faith in you and therefore please carry on and don’t insist on resignation. They were given 24 hours time. That was yesterday’s position.
“As far as Jagdale is concerned, he has no intention to withdraw resignation. That’s the stand so far. I tried to talk to Shirke, also Mr Shetty and others tried to talk to him but not able to communicate with him. I will wait.
“I’m hopeful that a decision will come out. No decision has been taken as yet. I will wait for another 24 hours,” Dalmiya said.
Dalmiya said that in case both the secretary and treasurer refuse to reconsider their resignations, the vacancies will be filled up. “As far as the present context, if they are not there, the vacancy will be filled up. It is already in the rules. If there is a vacancy it would be filled up. There are rules for this from President to down below. We will go by the rule book,” he said.
Asked about the constitutional validity of Sunday’s Emergent Working Committee Meeting which has been questioned by some members, he said, “That’s a personal opinion. I don’t agree with this.”
On whether there was a timeline for the probe against Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan and CSK franchise, Dalmiya said, “It is a million dollar question. How can there be a timeline. It will depend on how you proceed and how you work.
“Just 24 hours have past since I took over. let us wait and not rush through.”
On how confident he was in his new role, he said, “I don’t know the capability and capacity of Jagmohan Dalmiya ... I will not leave any stone unturned so that the good name of cricket is retained.”
“All the efforts will be made to achieve the ultimate goal. It is a difficult time through which we are passing. With the help of all the friends, we will be able to find out some kind of solution.
On whether he had the powers to take decisions, Dalmiya said, “Wait and see whether I’ve got any power or not. Allow me to settle me in my chair. Hold on, I’ve not passed 24 hours.”
Dalmiya said he had been given a responsibility under difficult circumstances and he could not shy away from it. “No. This is no comeback. Temporarily I am given a responsibility and I thought this is a time one cannot shy away. That is why i’ve accepted the challenge.”
On whether he would represent the BCCI in the ICC during this period, he said, “No decision yet. I may and may not present at the ICC.”
life might have come a full circle for the astute Dalmiya after being appointed the Interim BCCI chief nearly six and half years after he was expelled from the same office, but he does not consider this an individual victory.
Dalmiya is instead taking this as a challenge to clean the murk maligning cricket in the wake of the spotfixing scam. “This is not an individual victory. The need of the hour is to cleanse cricket. That’s my top priority. I have very little time to do that. I have to work very fast,” Dalmiya had told reporters after arriving in Kolkata from the Chennai meeting earlier in the day.
“I have to prove to the cricket fraternity that cricket is a clean sport. I need to get that confidence back on the people,” he said.
Dalmiya was expelled in December 2006 on charges of misappropriation of funds in the 1996 World Cup as he was forced to step down as the Cricket Association of Bengal president. Terming this a big period, Dalmiya said: “It was a big period. I have proved my innocence. I believe in achieving things.”
After serving a tenure as International Cricket Council chief for three years since 1997, Dalmiya became BCCI President in 2001 and continued to be the all-in-all in the board till his tenure ended in 2004. But Sharad Pawar stormed to power in 2005 with an emphatic victory to become BCCI chief while his team won all the other key posts, as the Dalmiya camp suffered an embarrassing defeat.
Months later, the BCCI lodged a police complaint against Dalmiya for alleged misappropriation of funds related to the 1996 World Cup in which India was a co-host.