New Delhi: Former Indian cricket board president Inderjit Singh Bindra Wednesday launched a scathing attack on board chief Narayanaswami Srinivasan, saying he should resign immediately before he takes Indian cricket to the gutter along with himself.
"Quit before you (Srinivasan) drag Indian cricket down the gutter along with yourself," said Bindra.
Bindra's comments came a day after the Supreme Court said that a fair investigation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) betting scandal would not be possible if Srinivasan continues as the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The Supreme Court Tuesday not only observed that Srinivasan's behaviour was "nauseating" and asked him to quit but it also threatened to pronounce its own decision if he doesn't.
Bindra, who has been demanding Srinivasan's resignation ever since the IPL scandal broke out, said what he has been saying for over a year has finally been vindicated.
"Finally, what I have been saying for weeks, months and over a year, has been vindicated... It's a moment of shame for us to see the game gaining such disrepute across the globe for a single man's obsession with power," Bindra wrote in a blog on his personal site.
"It is not a moment for me to gloat personally, especially as the Supreme Court of India has raised questions about the BCCI, an organisation I once headed," he wrote.
Bindra said it has been more than 24 hours and neither the BCCI nor Sriniavasn has taken any step.
"What stung me most was the use of the word 'nauseating' by the apex court in describing BCCI and its chief, N Srinivasan. If that is not reason enough for someone to be ashamed, I wonder what is? It has been over 24 hours and the BCCI and its chief have taken no action as yet," he said.
Bindra says he is surprised with the way the top brass of the BCCI has chosen to stay silent or have escaped with open-ended statements.
"What surprises me even more is the fact that there has been no murmur from the top brass in the BCCI. Yes, there have been statements from the BCCI vice-presidents but they are too open-ended. The inaction by the BCCI top brass reflects Srinivasan's shamelessness to stick to his chair," he said.
Bindra agrees with the Supreme Court's observations that the real truth of the match-fixing saga will not be revealed and the main culprits will not be brought to justice if Srinivasan doesn't step down.
Bindra also said that the IPL should be suspended for the time being and wondered why some of the matches were played in Sharjah when in the past the BCCI had boycotted the venue, which was believed to be the epicentre of nefarious activities in cricket.
"I think, we still have time and we can still pull matches out of Sharjah. This IPL provides a backdoor entry for Sharjah to be accepted by one and all. IPL needs an urgent cleansing process," he said.
