By his own admission, N Srinivasan prefers golf to cricket, but over the last week, he has illustrated the virtues of a quality top-order batsman battling to save a Test. He has been tenacious and defiant, secure and solid, wearing down his opponents with his will and gutsy play.
Two days ago he exhibited his nuance at the craft of dinner diplomacy. The following day he maintained with indignation that he couldn't be railroaded. Hours after he presented the IPL trophy to Mumbai Indians, amidst much booing from the Eden crowd, he landed in Chennai, ushered in by the usual "conspirators" clan of media and greeted by the same torrent of questions, which this time he defied with a just a hint of arrogance.
Here, though, was no time for nuanced diplomacy. "Only you had asked for my resignation. Why should I? No one in the BCCI or anywhere else has asked me to step down. The press is hounding me to resign. But I will not be pushed to resign," he thundered.
Srinivasan was visibly annoyed by the volley of questions thrown around his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan's arrest for betting, and the possibility of the Chennai Super Kings being terminated from the league. He, though, resorted to the practiced answer that he has given in most of his recent press conferences, "Anyone found guilty will be punished without fear of favour."
Much like India Cements' goofed-up efforts to cover-up Meiyappan's stake in CSK, Srinivasan's attempt to make an under-the-radar exit from the airport flopped, as the vigilant media spotted him and promptly swarmed him. Ironically, it was a rare instance, he had flown into the city without any of the usual protection protocol, revealed the airport sources.