Question is about the credibility of BCCI: Shirke

New Delhi: Preferring not to say it in as many words, BCCI treasurer Ajay Shirke on Wednesday hinted that N Srinivasan`s continuance as BCCI president could raise a question mark over the "credibility" of the Board.

"I am a very junior member of the Board. Srinivasan is higher in stature and age. I don`t think I need to advise him. The question is about the credibility of the Board," a guarded Shirke said. "We have to instil the confidence of people in the Board. Here the decision is a moral one and that is a very individual decision," he added. Shortly after IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla demanded that Srinivasan "disassociate" from the inquiry against his son-in-law and Chennai Super Kings Team in the wake of IPL spot-fixing scandal, Shirke said the two senior members of the Board have just expressed their own opinions. "I have not heard what Shukla has said because I was in a meeting. They are very senior official of the Board and have expressed their opinion but it is up to Mr Srinivasan to take a call," Shirke said in an interview. Meanwhile, DDCA vice-president Chetan Chauhan begged to differ. "For the good of cricket, Mr Srinivasan should step down. Once the inquiry is completed he can come back. Crores of cricket fans have been hurt by this scandal. Their faith needs to be restored," said the former India opener. Meanwhile, MCA president Ravi Sawant defended Srinivasan's decision to not put down his papers, saying that his resignation would make people believe that he was guilty. "Today if he resigns, the people will straightaway accuse him that he was guilty. That's the reason he is not resigning. He said 'I will prove that there is nothing against me personally'," said Sawant. Sawant also said that the conflict of interest issue against Srinivasan should have been raised at the time when he bought a franchise as a BCCI member. "This is not the first time that this conflict of interest issue has come up. The rules were there in place. That time he was not the BCCI president. From there on, he has gone from becoming treasurer to secretary to president. Somebody should have protested because rules are made to prevent certain things to happen," Sawant said. "After happening of these things you are saying that there is a conflict of interest and he should resign. We should think about it why we did not object to it (buying a team) then. If you are supporting his decision to buy a team then, now making it an issue is not correct," he added. Asked if people in the BCCI are being opportunistic by demanding his resignation at a time when the board is facing the heat, Sawant said, "All these people who are raising these issues are now holding positions in the board. They have worked with him. Now after working with him, how can you raise the issue." PTI