Crucial BCCI meet to find new pathway in IPL case

The SC ruled that Srinivasan could not be given back the reins of BCCI until he came out clean in the probe against him

The Cricket Board's all-powerful Working Committee is to meet here tomorrow afternoon at its headquarters to find a pathway to satisfy the latest directive of the Supreme Court in the case related to corruption in last year's IPL.

The apex court, while turning down N Srinivasan's fresh plea to return to the helm of the Board's affairs as its elected chief, has ruled that he cannot be given back the BCCI's reins till he comes out clean in a probe conducted against him and 12 others, including India-capped cricketers, whose names have been mentioned by Justice Mudgal Committee report in the IPL corruption scandal.

The apex court also put the ball back in the BCCI's court for future course of action to probe the damning contents of the Mudgal Committee report on its own through appropriate means.

On April 16 the Supreme Court had said the BCCI should conduct a probe against Srinivasan and 12 others in the betting and spot fixing scandal to maintain its institutional autonomy as the court cannot "close its eyes" to the allegations made by the Justice Mukul Mudgal committee.

A bench of justices A K Patnaik and F M Ibrahim Kalifulla, however, had expressed reservations over a SIT or CBI probe, saying that institutional autonomy of the Board has to be maintained and a committee constituted by the BCCI to look into the issue would be preferred.

"Having come to know the nature of allegations, we cannot close our eyes," the bench said, adding that it is concerned about the game of cricket in the country and not about individuals.

Referring to a sealed envelope report of Justice Mudgal committee, the bench said, "It (report) said all these allegations were brought to his (Srinivasan) notice but he did not take any action. That means he was aware about the allegations and did not take it seriously."

The Emergent WC meeting, to be held two days before the next hearing of the case in the apex court, has been convened following demand from some state units affiliated to the Board after the Supreme Court's hearing.