BCCI meeting postponed over Srinivasan's presence (Roundup)

In a dramatic turn of events, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) working committee meeting was adjourned here on Friday after it decided to seek the Supreme Court's opinion on whether N. Srinivasan could attend the deliberations as the authorised representative of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA).

Srinivasan, the current International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman, was earlier asked by the Supreme Court to quit as BCCI president to facilitate investigation into the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL) betting and spot fixing scam.

His son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan has been convicted of wrongdoing in the IPL scam and banned from any cricketing activity for life.

IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla said the working committee meeting would next be held only after obtaining the opinion of the Supreme Court in this regard. All other pending issues have been deferred to the board's Annual General Meeting (AGM), which is likely to be held here on September 27.

"Meeting was adjourned as there is a legal bar on Srinivasan. For that we have to seek clarification from the Supreme Court so that is why the meeting has been postponed. After we get the clarification next working committee meeting would be called," Shukla told reporters on Friday.

Asked why Srinivasan participated in the meeting even after BCCI informed him about the legal bar, Shukla said he was unaware of any possible reason.

"The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Working Committee meeting was adjourned sine die after deciding to seek the opinion of the Supreme Court whether N. Srinivasan could attend the meetings of the BCCI as the authorised representative of Tamil Nadu Cricket Association," BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said in a statement on Friday.

The BCCI officials consulted Alegal advisors before taking the decision.

A Supreme Court order, issued on February this year, barred Srinivasan from taking part in any affairs of the board.

Announcing the adjournment of the meeting, Assam Cricket Association secretary Bikash Barua said: "BCCI president adjourned the meeting after objections on the presence of Srinivasan".

"Srinivasan's presence involved legal consequences," added Barua.

According to an IPL governing council member, the meeting lasted around "five minutes" and the Annual General Meeting of the board can be held on September 27.

"The meeting lasted around five minutes only today. The AGM has a tentative date which is September 27. The next working committee meeting depends upon the clarification which will be given by the Supreme court," he said.

According to sources, Srinivasan was told he could not attend the meeting but as he still insisted in staying, BCCI President Dalmiya used his discretionary powers to adjourn the session.

Srinivasan reportedly said he would seek legal advice and then take the next step.

Outside the venue of the meeting, several past and present cricketers under the banner of 'Bihar Players Association' staged a demonstration demanding the BCCI give affiliation to the Cricket Association of Bihar.

Meanwhile, Cricket Association of Bihar secretary Aditya Verma dubbed the adjournment of the meeting as a moral victory and asserted he will drag the BCCI to court if Srinivasan was allowed to participate in the affairs of the Board before the final verdict of the Justice Lodha Committee.

"I had served notices to all the office bearers of the BCCI and the affiliated boards stating that Srinivasan participating in the meeting was tantamount to contempt of court. If the BCCI convenes any meeting in which Srinivasan participates before the Lodha committee verdict, I will drag them to the court," said Verma.

Earlier in the day, in the financial committee meeting no major decisions could be taken apart from passing the Annual accounts as Chairman Jyotiraditya Scindia was absent.