N Srinivasan has thrown down the gauntlet. The president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, who had stepped aside temporarily from his post following the IPL scandal, has said he will contest for the top post at the annual general meeting to be held here on September 29.
Srinivasan’s comment: “I am going to stand (for re-election)” in Mumbai on Thursday is significant on two counts. First, there is a case pending in the Supreme Court involving him and the BCCI, which might complicate matters for him. Second, by saying that he will contest, Srinivasan has indirectly accepted that somebody will take him on.
A senior BCCI official said the case would not be a problem. “It’s regarding the probe panel (that was) to look into the IPL scandal and will not stop Srinivasan from contesting,” he said.
Then, there are whispers that former BCCI president Shashank Manohar might take on Srinivasan. Manohar needs a proposer and seconder from South Zone to contest.
The board official said it’s difficult for Manohar to get the two. “Goa may be with him, but Srinivasan seems to have the rest (of the state cricket associations) under control. Even if Manohar wants to contest, it’s unlikely that he will get support from the South,” he said.