BCCI backs IPL boss, Srinivasan; postpones AGM

Chennai, Nov 18 (IANS) An emergency meeting of the BCCI Working Committee here Tuesday decided to support Indian Premier League (IPL) chief Sundar Raman while postponing the cricket board's Annual General Meeting (AGM) for Dec 17.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) meeting also supported exiled president N. Srinivasan saying the allegations against him were baseless and aimed at destabilising the organisation.

Made public Monday, the report of the Supreme Court-appointed Mukul Mudgal committee probing the 2013 IPL spot fixing and betting scandal gave a clean chit to International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Srinivasan but also said that he and four other BCCI officials, though aware that individual 3 (a player whose name has not been disclosed) was violating the players' code of conduct, failed to take any action against him.

Reacting to the report, BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said: "The members noted the conclusions in the final report of the Mudgal committee and felt that there is no taint on the conduct of Mr. N. Srinivasan and the allegations levelled against him by unscrupulous elements were baseless and were aimed at destabilising the working of the BCCI."

The report had stated that Raman had been in touch with a bookie and had admitted that he was aware of Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra's involvement in betting, but did nothing about it.

Meiyappan is the son-in-law of Srinivasan and an official of IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings while Kundra is a co-owner of another team Rajasthan Royals.

However, the BCCI decided to support the tainted IPL boss.

"Mr. Sundar Raman gave his explanation relating to his role with reference to the conclusions relating to him in the report of the Mudgal committee. The members heard his explanation and decided that the Board should support Mr. Sundar Raman to represent himself before the Supreme Court," Patel said.

Patel also added that the Working Committee postponed the 85th AGM, originally scheduled for Nov 20, and it would now be held here Dec 17.

The Supreme Court hearing on the same case is Nov 24.