The Supreme Court on Friday took the BCCI out of N Srinivasan’s control and made Sunil Gavaskar the interim president to look after the upcoming IPL. It also allowed Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals to stay in the tournament beginning on April 16. The court directed that vice-president Shivlal Yadav will discharge the functions of BCCI president with regard to all other matters.
A bench of justices A K Patnaik and F M Ibrahim Kalifulla said, “Considering that Sunil Gavaskar was a player of great repute, we appoint him as an interim measure to exercise the powers of the BCCI president in relation to IPL 2014 till we deliver the judgment in these matters. With regard to all other matters, senior most vice-president Shivlal Yadav will discharge the functions of the president.”
The court said Gavaskar will not work as commentator during this period and will be compensated for his loss of income. He will decide whether Sundar Raman, IPL COO, would continue. On the Cricket Association of Bihar’s demand to remove Srinivasan from the post of president, the bench said it cannot take a decision at this stage. The bench also said that no employee of India Cements (owned by Srinivasan), except players and commentators will perform any duty assigned to them by the BCCI.
Cricket Association of Bihar’s counsel Harish Salve said Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be answerable if an inquiry is ordered into the fixing scandal since he had lied to the probe panel that Gurunath Meiyappan was not associated with CSK in any official capacity. Dhoni had told the probe panel that Meiyappan was a mere “enthusiast”.