Mumbai, Sept 19:
The petitioner in the IPL-6 spot-fixing case, Aditya Verma, today said he is trying to convince Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) President Sharad Pawar to contest for the Cricket Board’s presidential elections.
“I feel this is the right time for Mr. Pawar to take us out of this mess and make a corruption-free BCCI. He should lead the way along with Arun Jaitley and Jagmohan Dalmiya. I have spoken to Mr. Pawar and he has shown support towards my cause. He has more or less made his mind,” Verma told reporters here.
Pawar had last year said he is not eyeing the top post of the BCCI, which he had headed from 2005-06 to 2007-08, and when pointed out, Verma said he is ‘ready now’.
“I don’t have time to go to BCCI as I don’t have time for any responsibility. I might go for meetings but I don’t have time to take up any responsibility,” Pawar had said after returning as the MCA President last year.
The defunct Cricket Association of Bihar secretary also questioned the BCCI’s move to postpone its Annual General Meeting.
As per the Board’s constitution, the elections are scheduled to be held during the AGM, which needs to be conducted before September 30.
Supporting Verma, former Union Minister and President of Cricket Association of Jharkhand Subodh Kant Sahay said, “We want all cricket lovers and BCCI members having conscience to come together and oppose this move of Srinivasan to postpone the AGM which is supposed to happen in the last week of September. We will also move Supreme Court, because this is also a conflict of interest, as for one man the election will be postponed.” (PTI)