N Srinivasan represents Tamil Nadu at BCCI SGM

What’s the story?

Ousted ICC Chairman and former BCCI President N Srinivasan attended, as the elected representative for the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA), the BCCI’s Special General Meeting earlier today. The official, who drafted the infamous ‘big three’ proposal, was reportedly furious at the new revenue sharing model that the ICC ratified in the recently concluded set of meetings.

In case you didn’t know…

In 2014, Srinivasan, along with the respective heads of the ECB and CA, drafted one of cricket’s most damning revenue sharing models, giving themselves the lion’s share of the ICC’s TV rights money. This led to a shrinking of the game in lesser nations, for short term gains for the three major countries, leading to near irreparable damage to the game.

Srinivasan was later removed from his posts and the model was scaled back in the ICC’s June meetings. Srinivasan’s comebacks have been blocked since by the CoA, yet he remains a prominent figure of the TNCA.

The details

The BCCI held an SGM earlier today, which Srinivasan attended. The industrialist has been aching to make a comeback into the BCCI and cricket administration for a while now, silently but steadily challenging the authority of the CoA, firstly by attending a meeting he was ineligible for, then by going against BCCI policy for the TNPL and now finally by representing the TNCA at a meeting.

Srinivasan (72) is ineligible for a post in the organisation through the Lodha committee directive, which states that no members above 70 can participate, and no member can complete more than three terms for their state association. Srinivasan is on his 14th term. The CoA have chosen to remain silent, passing the responsibility on to the Supreme Court. Srinivasan is revered in the TNCA as a senior figure, as someone who has reinvigorated the game in the state.

His objections to the new revenue model come as no surprise, given he was the architect of the revenue model that the new model replaced. His constant interference has been a painful reminder that the progress the world of cricket has made since his exit could shatter at any moment.

What’s next?

The ball is in the Supreme Court, so to speak. They need to make a firm, binding decision on the BCCI’s ousted members that sets a precedent, avoiding interference from people like Srinivasan in the future. For now, the SGMs and all BCCI procedures will remain to be extremely vulnerable, particularly with a weakened CoA.

Author’s take

Srinivasan is a cancer in the BCCI that needs to be stopped forever. Not only has he been instrumental in the Chennai Super Kings fiasco, his influence could mean the end of the world game, something nobody in cricket wants.

He has shown how dangerous he is and must be stopped before he wreaks havoc once more. The world of cricket strained under the big three model, and just three years later, its adverse effects caused chaos in the game. The Supreme Court must get rid of him once and for all, in the best interests of the game.