No one can doubt my integrity, says Srinivasan

Published>Wed, May 26 10 08:37 PM

New Delhi, May 26 (IANS) Replying to the virtual charge sheet served on him by suspended Indian Premier League (IPL) chief Lalit Modi, Indian cricket board secretary N.Srinivasan said Wednesday that his inetgrity is tight, and slammed Modi for conducting the affairs of the board in public.

Speaking to IANS from Chennai, Srinivasan said: 'Mr.Modi has a habit of conducting the affairs of board in public. He is leaking information to the press. I cannot respond to all his allgetions in public. Nobody can question my integrity.'

Asked if he would take any steps after Modi levelled some serious charges against him, Srinivasan said: 'I cannot discuss these issues in the media. We have showcaused him and he has to come out clean.'

Modi Tuesday came up with startling claims of serious misuse of power by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Shashank Manohar and Srinivasan, pointing out their culpability in a number of decisions, which he alleged were illegal and fradulent.

Modi asked Manohar and Srinivasan to recuse themselves from all proceeding regarding the showcause notice to him and to constitute an independent panel to adjudicate as they were party to all the decisions as IPL Governing Council members.

Srinivasan, however, said that he cannot stay away from the proceedings. 'I'm afraid I cannot,' he said.

Modi in his 14-page letter pointed out how Manohar was solely invovled in some decisions, for which the BCCI notice has levelled charges against him.

He pointed out that the controversial decision to scrap the initial opening of tenders was taken by Manohar and it was he who went out of his way to entertain former minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor and accept the Kochi bid much after the lapse of deadline.

Modi's charges against Srinivasan were much more serious. He accused the BCCI secretary of manipulating the minutes of the board meetings, players' auction for the IPL third edition and the appointment of umpires in the second IPL in South Africa to help his team, Chennai Super Kings, misusing his office as the board secretary.

On the players' apology to the board for a pub brawl in St.Lucia during the World Twenty20 in the West Indies, Srinivasan said: 'This is the internal matter of the board and I can't discuss it with the media.'

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