N Srinivasan chairs BCCI disciplinary meet

New Delhi: BCCI`s president-in-exile N Srinivasan on Friday chaired the disciplinary committee meeting that imposed life bans on tainted cricketers S Sreesanth and Ankeet Chavan for their role in the spot-fixing scandal during IPL-VI.

While there were questions raised by Cricket Association of Bihar secretary Aditya Verma, who was present at the five-star hotel where the meeting was held, a senior BCCI official explained as to how no one can raise a question about the Tamil Nadu strongman attending the meeting. "Mr Srinivasan has recused himself from the day-to-day activities of the Board. But a meeting of the disciplinary committee which will announce the verdict of players accused of spot-fixing is not something that happens everyday. So Mr Srinivasan can`t be accused of contempt of court for presiding the meeting," a senior BCCI official told PTI. "Fact is that Mr Jagmohan Dalmiya doesn`t have any authority whatsoever to sign any papers is another reason. A disciplinary committee cannot announce the verdict in president`s absence and Mr Srinivasan`s presence was needed," the official added. CAB secretary Verma realised that his threats had no effect on Srinivasan and midway through the meeting, he beat a hasty retreat. Clad in blue half-sleeve shirt and dark trousers, Srinivasan didn`t look tense as it had been on some earlier occasions as he exchanged pleasantries with DDCA president and co-member Arun Jaitley and came to see him off at the hotel corridor. Then with his close aide and TNCA secretary Kashi Viswanathan, he walked towards the other side of the hotel with security guards in tow. PTI