The Board of Control for Cricket saved itself from some more embarrassment with the decision to call off the working committee meeting here on Friday. Already under scrutiny after the Mumbai high court order terming the spot-fixing and betting probe panel illegal, the BCCI could have complicated the situation for itself if the meeting was held, with N. Srinivasan in charge.
Clearly, the board wanted to avoid any confrontation at the working committee meeting in the wake of the order as also they wanted to avoid more legal trouble if the meeting was held with Srinivasan at the helm. Moreover, there was a technical hitch in conducting the meeting.
“The meeting itself was technically invalid as one needed to mention the agenda if it is not an emergent one. Moreover, a notice for the working committee needs to go out four days in advance which in this case was not so,” Association of Indian Universities representative D.S. Chauhan said.
Board secretary Sanjay Patel, meanwhile, termed the lapse as a slight mistake.
“Every member knew what the meeting was called for. The meeting was called off as there was a slight mistake in issuing the notice. By mistake the word ‘emergent’ was not written,” Patel told reporters.
“A normal working committee meeting requires more time. To avoid the technicality of it, the meeting was cancelled. All the members were apprised of the present situation (in the wake of the court order).
“The meeting was only called for discussing IPL governing council’s outcome. That was the only agenda. So for that matter also agenda was not circulated,” Patel clarified. A working committee meeting notice needs to be issued four days in advance clearly mentioning the agenda. But in this case, since the time period was less than that, the meeting, if conducted, could have been null and void.
Patel clarified that Srinivasan had already assumed duties at the helm of BCCI's affairs but keeping in mind the high court’s order, would wait till the time the petition was cleared by the Supreme Court.
“Srinivasan has already taken over after the working committee meeting in Kolkata. And after he had resumed duty, the high court order was received. So he said he will step aside till the time till an order comes from the Supreme Court.”