London, June 26 (IANS) Former Indian cricket board president Inderjit Singh Bindra Wednesday brought to the notice of the directors on the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) executive board and its Development International Board the alleged violation of its Ethics Code by one of its directors Narayanaswamy Srinivasan.
In an open letter, released to the media in London Wednesday afternoon, Bindra, a former advisor with the ICC, stated that he was pained to write “especially because the person who is at the centre of the controversy happens to be heading the same board of which I have been a member for the last 38 years and served as its President”.
“However, I have always believed that the game is greater than any individual and the truth must prevail,” he said pointing out the clauses under which Srinivasan could be probed by the Ethics Committee.
Bindra said Clause 2.1 of the Code clearly states that the directors shall act in an ethical manner and shall not engage in conduct that gives the appearance of impropriety and Clause 4.1 makes it abundantly clear that the directors shall not use their position with the ICC for personal advantage or gain, including having any material and direct personal involvement with ICC broadcasters, such as acceptance of material payments from such broadcasters.
Attaching media reports which quoted the ICC spokesperson as saying it has no objection to Srinivasan taking his seat on the board, Bindra said, like countless cricket fans globally, he has reservations about his attending the London meetings.
“ICC spokesperson may still not have any objection to the stepped-aside President attending the annual conference but millions of cricket enthusiasts in India and across the globe have strong reservations about his participation in any deliberations until he is cleared by the competent authority and allowed to step back by the (Indian) board,” said Bindra.
Srinivasan has stepped aside as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president after his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, former team principal of Chennai Super Kings was arrested by the Mumbai police for his allegedly betting in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Super Kings is owned by India Cements, a company headed by Srinivasan.
“You would agree, with great remorse, that cricket, once a gentleman’s game has now become a businessman’s game. It’s no longer played by the book but by the bookies. Previously the most despised three letter word used to be “tax’. Now its replaced by “bet” or worse still “fix”. It’s time then that somebody stands up, musters the courage and puts the love of the game above everything else and presents a complaint against the current President of the BCCI Mr. N. Srinivasan,” said Bindra.
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