Srinivasan is an autocrat, wants all the power for himself: Shashank Manohar

Former BCCI president Shashank Manohar is used to carefully weighing his words before he speaks — a lawyer by profession, he rarely ever spoke to the media during his reign, kept a low profile and just concentrated on getting the job done. His way of functioning earned him the nickname BCCI’s Mr. Clean. But in an interview to Mumbai Mirror — Manohar has torn into N Srinivasan, who was recently re-elected for his third year as BCCI president. 

The former BCCI president was approached by Jagmohan Dalmiya amongst others, to contest against Srinivasan but the Tamil Nadu strongman found a loophole in the rules to get elected unopposed. Srinivasan with Manohar: Reuters “Srinivasan has no right to continue as president,” said Manohar said in the Mumbai Mirror interview. “If you had the slightest of conscience, self-esteem and care for the board, you ought to have put in your papers the moment your son-in-law was arrested. You did nothing and as a result the board’s reputation has taken a hit to the extent that the people have lost faith in this board.” So at least someone in the Board agrees that the Board’s reputation has taken a hit. 

Recently, even the Supreme Court observed “something is seriously wrong with the apex body controlling cricket.” However, Srinivasan has chosen to ignore the ignore the issue and has constantly maintained that his son-in-law’s wrong doings have nothing to do with him. In the Supreme Court, Srinivasan’s lawyer said on behalf of his client: “It’s my daughter who chose the son-in-law and not me.” The confidence that saw Srinivasan quickly rising up the BCCI ranks is quickly turning to arrogance. 

Manohar also mentioned how it has taken Srinivasan just four months to damage the reputation of the Board; a reputation that had taken years for past presidents like Dalmiya, AC Muttiah, Sharad Pawar, IS Bindra and Madhavrao Scindia to build up. The ‘enthusiastic’ defence that was put up by Srinivasan to protect himself from the controversy that surrounds Gurunath Meiyappan has came under fire from Manohar, who said: “There is a lot of evidence of Meiyappan being the team principal. 

The truth will come out. I don’t have to state this. It is a fact.” In his new book, Underneath The Southern Cross, Chennai Super Kings and former Australia batsman Michael Hussey has said that Srinivasan had ceded control of the team to his son-in-law and betting accused, Gurunath. “Our owner was Indian Cements, headed by Mr Srinivasan,” Hussey writes. “As he was also on the board of the BCCI, he gave control of the team to his son-in-law Mr Gurunath. He ran the team along with Kepler Wessels, who was coach.” So the players knew and the officials knew but no one was ready to break Omerta? Why? Why hasn’t Manohar or anyone else raised their voice before this? Australia’s Daily Telegraph has called Srinivasan “cricket’s most destructive figure.” 

South African papers are now describing the BCCI as a mafia — is that how Srinivasan and Indian cricket want to be remembered? Such scorn is usually reserved only for dictators and tyrants. But Manohar saved his most scathing remarks in the Mumbai Mirror interview for the end: “He is trying to shield everybody, his team included. He does not want to clean this mess. If my son was in Srinivasan’s position, I would have asked him to resign. Srinivasan is an autocrat and wants all the power for himself,” Manohar said. Abraham Lincoln once said, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” And clearly that is one test that Srinivasan has failed. You can read the entire Mumbai Mirror interview HERE

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