The Indian cricket board has lost much time wringing its hands over the one-point agenda of its president N. Srinivasan — to get back to his chair as the BCCI’s active head. But the issues facing the game are far bigger than an individual’s ambition to cling to power unmindful of the damage caused by the corrupting influence of doles and favours to constituent units and their officials.
The matter is squarely before the Supreme Court. Only the wisdom of the judges can help clean up cricket in India, run by administrators who feel empowered to give themselves clean chits after every scandal with “strictly internal” probes that have no sanctity in law. With the BCCI’s annual general meeting coming up soon, the stakes are now even higher.
The board lost an excellent opportunity to cleanse the game of betting and fixing after it reached scandalous proportions in IPL Season 6. But instead of facing up to these problems, it simply went by the old formula of probes by a security unit head or a panel of retired judges who were quicker than a delivery by India’s fastest bowler in exonerating the administrators.
A few proposals have come from the Jagmohan Dalmiya-led panel to avoid problems prospectively. But it is clear that efforts are being made to sweep crucial issues under the carpet, including that of the BCCI chief’s son-in-law’s involvement. Only in not defying the courts have administrators and their legal advisers shown some gumption. The Supreme Court’s directions are now keenly awaited.