Shashank Manohar has restored BCCI's credibility by ousting Srinivasan

It was on the cards. The day Shashank Manohar took over as BCCI President, the murmurs had started that it was time for N Srinivasan to make way in the ICC. How can someone who isn’t eligible to attend BCCI meetings continue to represent India in the ICC? How can he, despite all his determination to hold on to his post, be able to do so in a BCCI over which he was fast losing grip? Why would Manohar, a hardliner with a determination to bring about transparency and accountability, allow Srinivasan to do so?

It is a sad reflection on Indian cricket and its administration to think it took the BCCI so long to remove Srinivasan. He isn’t part of the BCCI for a good year and more. Yet he could control the BCCI to such an extent that he was still the Board’s representative in cricket’s apex body. He would lord over world cricket when he had no locus standi in his own country. Why was this allowed? Was it money or was it power that was talking? Was it both? Were the BCCI members so inept that they turned a blind eye? And had it not been for the Supreme Court would things have ever changed? Let’s be blunt. Had the SC not barred Srinivasan from attending BCCI meetings, would the BCCI have the courage to stop Srinivasan on its own accord?

Yes Jagmohan Dalmiya wanted to stop Srinivasan from attending the Working committee meeting in Kolkata on August 28. However, in trying to do so he almost lost support within his own board. Even his senior legal counsel is said to have opined in favour of Srinivasan attending. This is what forced Dalmiya to adjourn the meeting and ask the SC to intervene in the matter. This was in fact his last decision as president.

With Manohar it is a different story. A Srini baiter over the last couple of years, Manohar has been clear, Srini ought to have stepped down the moment the IPL spot fixing scandal broke out. He values perception more than anything and that’s why it was important for him to replace Srinivasan with someone of credibility. People need to think the BCCI can reform itself rather than the judiciary having to force its hand. And in ousting Srinivasan Manohar has indeed taken the step towards restoring credibility. The reforms process has just started. Question is, can Manohar take it to a logical conclusion? The jury is out on this one.