Farooq Abdullah backs Srinivasan

Srinagar: Union minister and JKCA President Farooq Abdullah on Friday threw his weight behind beleaguered N Srinivasan, saying he will come out clean in the inquiry into IPL spot fixing scandal.

He also expressed hope that the former batting maestro Sunil Gavaskar will fulfill the responsibility as BCCI president in a "good manner". "He (Gavaskar) too is a good man and honest player. He has been the captain of Indian cricket team and I am hopeful that he will fulfill the responsibility which the court has given him in a good manner," Abdulllah told reporters here. Describing Srinivasan as an "honorable man", Abdullah said he will clear his name in the inquiry and will return as BCCI president. "I have already said Srinivasan is an honorable man. When court ordered that he should step down till inquiry is completed, I had then also said he would step down. And honestly I think that when the inquiry is completed Srinivasan will be cleared and he will return as BCCI president," he said. Asked if Srinivasan could have resigned on his own before the SC order, Abdullah said "see it is a question of his decision. I am not the one who could have forced him to step down." The Union minister said the allegations against Indian cricket team captain M S Dhoni will have no bearing on the morale of the team currently playing in the ICC T20 World Cup in Bangladesh. "No, no. Indian team will play wherever they are. It is for the honour of the nation that they are playing. Therefore, I do not think these things will matter to them," he said. He also welcomed the Apex Court`s decision on not barring any team from the IPL 7. "I think all teams are playing which is very good. It will look very bad if some teams are pushed out and I think it is a very good decision that IPL will be played by all teams," he said, adding IPL will be a good boost to cricket and it has done quite a good job. "As you see T20 being played in Bangladesh, people are greatly interested in this game and the game must go on," he said. Abdullah said the government will have to think over legalising betting in the country as it was happening everywhere. "As far as betting is concerned, it takes place every where in the world. There is no country except India where betting does not take place. India will have to think over it that if illegal betting will go on it would cause loss. "And they will have to find a way that if it has to be legalised what shape should be given so that government too is benefited from it. The betting going on today does not benefit the government," he said.