Indian Cricket
Gavaskar In Charge of IPL 7
By Gaurang
March 29 2014
Throughout his playing days, Sunil Gavaskar was the bedrock of India's batting, taking on the most hostile conditions with his broad and straight bat. Perhaps the Eminent Justices of the Indian Supreme Court A.K. Patnaik and Ibrahim Khalifulla who appointed him to head the BCCI during the IPL 7 were fans, and decided that Indian cricket now desperately needed Gavaskar to rescue it again.
In a breath taking display of Judicial activism, at least from the perspective of someone more familiar with the legal system of the United States than India, the Supreme Court of India has taken what is ultimately quite a just and equitable decision. They have been more than fair to the accused Mr. N. Srinivasan, and have shown great restraint in not unilaterally ousting him, instead following the established process to see that the charges against him are fully addressed in accordance with all reasonable due process.
They have also been wise in appointing a figurative head for the BCCI to oversee the IPL 7 in the form of the unimpeachable Mr. Gavaskar. However, they also have not run roughshod over the established bureacracy of the BCCI and have instead appointed another former Indian Test player, in the form of the long serving Hyderabad cricket association chief Shivlal Yadav, who is also a current Vice President of the BCCI, to oversee all non-IPL related BCCI functions.
In the meantime, N. Srinivasan has been asked to step aside, though he still continues to defy the Court and refuses to step down while vowing to fight tooth and nail through his lawyers. In the short term this stop-gap arrangement with Mr. Gavaskar and Mr. Yadav, both ex-players in charge does buy both the BCCI and the Court, who now will have to determine the modalities of a full investigation into the allegations against N. Srinivasan, some precious time, while keeping the wheels of Indian cricket as well as its money spinning machine running.
However it seems that the current Indian captain, M.S. Dhoni, will be entangled in the inquiry either through his own malfeasance or charitably through his ignorance. Dhoni has been accused of giving false statement under oath about his knowledge of the role of his Boss' son-in-law and one of the chief accused in spot fixing and other illegal activities. One hopes that for the sake of Indian cricket Mr. Dhoni survives the ordeal that is sure to face him outside the cricket arena. Though no special privilege must be given to him, if it is found that he was culpable.
Meanwhile it must be noted that in some quarters in the Western media, there is much disquiet at the appointment of Mr. Gavaskar especially as BCCI Chief, even if it is only for the IPL. These critics were quick to accuse Mr. Gavaskar of conflict of interest and rake up old stories about how the then ICC Chief the controversial Malcolm Gray supposedly told him to chose either his role with the ICC or his role as commentator when he was critical of the ICC in that role. Considering the pittance the ICC were paying him for his ICC role Sunny chose to cut his ties with the ICC. When he did that he was accused of not following through with his ICC administrative role. As if someone should sacrifice a very, very good living, to the tune of multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars a year or to censor himself as journalist for the sake of serving the ICC. Wonder if the ICC chairman would have served for the pittance that Gavaskar and other figureheads who served on honorary committes were paid?
Anyway it is now indeed delicious irony that these very media outlets biased against Indian cricket like Cricinfo were accusing him of being a paid spokesman of the BCCI in his role as commentator. Guess he was too independent for the ICC but was a stooge of the BCCI. What a load of rubbish. Nevertheless, he has with the blessing of the Supreme Court stepped down from his role as commentator for the BCCI, though not without first getting the Court to direct the BCCI to pay him for this breach of his lucrative contract, something the ICC never did. Gavaskar was never one to sell himself short, or put up false modesty. He knows what he is worth and is not hesitant to ask for it. He also is not shy in exposing the hypocrisy of the Western media on many issues related to Indian cricket. No wonder they despise him, though he is just the sort of person Indian cricket needs.
The next 6-8 weeks will be very testing for Indian cricket, BCCI and for both Mr. Gavaskar and Mr. Yadav. But it is fitting and reassuring to the ordinary Indian cricket fan that men who have actually faced the most hostile conditions in the middle while wearing India colors are now in charge outside the lines too. Here is wishing them the best, and hoping they can clean up the mess that N. Srinivasan and his ilk have created.
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29/03/2014 03:59
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:04:15:19:46:49 by Birbal.
but earlier cricinfo reported that Gavaskar was told to quit as commentator by ICC chief Malcolm Gray, when he was on an ICC committee because he was accused of being too critical of the ICC in his role as commentator...
WELL Which one is he? Is he a stooge or a trouble maker?
I think the problem is that people like Cricinfo's editor can't fathom that a man like Gavaskar who is an icon, a legend, doesn't need to suck up to anyone...he can, and is independent in his views.
Actually if one recalled his comments after the Indian team's failures in Asia Cup... he was severely critical of the team and said he failed to understand how someone like Pujara was picked but didn't even get a game against Afghanistan...He was also quoted as being very critical of Duncan Fletcher... who the BCCI have been very supportive of... so is he a stooge of the BCCI?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:03:29:05:06:07 by Birbal.
Here's hoping Sunny can make lasting changes in his temporary stint as BCCI head.
I wonder if he also gets Srinivasan's role as ICC president - great if so.
and gavaskar has to pass the ruling.
Moment of truth has arrived for Gavaskar. Will he do the right thing....or try to please Srinivasan for the fear he might be in Srni's clutches again later if he survives
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N Srinivasan can’t represent BCCI at ICC: Mehmood Abdi
Press Trust of India | Jaipur | April 1, 2014 3:07 pm
Abdi has also filed an FIR against Srinivasan alleging fixing in a IPL match featuring Chennai Super Kings.
Markandey Katju must probe N. Srinivasan kin in IPL spot-fixing scam: Abdi
M_Id_395575_N_Srinivasan
PIL in High Court challenges BCCI probe panel,Srinivasan's role
Rajasthan Cricket Association’s representative in the BCCI, Mehmood Abdi, said that N Srinivasan is not eligible to represent the body in the ICC after being forced to step aside due to a Supreme Court directive.
Srinivasan has been replaced by Sunil Gavaskar as the interim BCCI chief after the Supreme Court directed the Chennai strongman to step aside while hearing the case related to the IPL betting scandal.
Abdi has also filed an FIR against Srinivasan alleging fixing in a IPL match featuring Chennai Super Kings, owned by the BCCI chief’s company India Cements. The top court has asked for the removal of all India Cements employees from the BCCI.
“Removal of smaller functionaries of India Cements from various BCCI assignments would not be the desired compliance of the Supreme Court Order until N Srinivasan is removed from all BCCI assignments and responsibilities including representation in ICC,” Abdi, who is also a counsel for Srinivasan’s foe and former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, said in a statement.
“In view of this clear direction of the honourable apex court, N Srinivasan cannot represent BCCI at the ICC since he being an India Cements employee is barred by the Supreme Court order to be associated with any assignment of duties by the BCCI.
“This clarification on part of the interim President of the BCCI is imperative since an impression is being created in a section of media that Srinivasan’s role as the BCCI’s representative in the ICC is still intact,” he added
)
But Sunny is not even in charge of non-IPL related BCCI stuff that is Shivlal Yadav's responsibility...
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