India’s sports ministry demanded Indian cricket chief Narainswamy Srinivasan resign “on moral grounds” on Wednesday amidst the ongoing spot-fixing scandal.
“BCCI is inquiring into allegations of match and spot-fixing. As there is a conflict of interest in this inquiry, therefore the BCCI president should tender his resignation on moral grounds,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India wasn’t controlled by the sports ministry, however, and nor did it depend on government funding.
Srinivasan has said previously he was not involved in the scandal and will not resign.
He became embroiled in it when his son-in-law and Chennai Super Kings official Gurunath Meiyappan was arrested in the scandal that emerged with the arrest of former test cricketer Shantakumaran Sreesanth and two others who played for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.
Srinivasan is the managing director of India Cements, which owns Chennai.
Members of Srinivasan’s BCCI also want him to distance himself from the investigation.
The BCCI has asked retired judges Jayaram Chouta and R. Balasubramanian and BCCI secretary-general Sanjay Jagdale to investigate the roles of Meiyappan and the Chennai and Rajasthan teams.
“We’re of the view that the recommendations of this committee should be binding and that the BCCI should not ponder over it,” IPL chairman and BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla said in New Delhi in what is seen as a sign of pressure from within the board. “Till the pendency of inquiry, he (Srinivasan) should disassociate himself from the procedure but the decision rests with him.”
BCCI member Jyotiradiya Scindia, who heads its finance committee, has also asked for Srinivasan to step aside.
“In the interest of propriety and in the interest of the game, when there is a question mark surrounding the team (Chennai) and its manager, who happens to be a family member, I believe Mr Srinivasan must step aside,” Scindia said in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The spot-fixing case came to light after Delhi police arrested Sreesanth and two other bowlers on suspicion of under-performing in the IPL for money from book-makers.
The jailed trio is alleged to have conceded more than a certain number of runs in an over and received up to 6 million rupees ($110 000) from bookmakers for every over.
They’ve been charged with cheating, criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.
All three players and Meiyappan have been suspended by the BCCI.