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Srinivasan: 'Deeply hurt by Vengsarkar's comments'

N Srinivasan, former BCCI chief, says the allegations Dilip Vengsarkar made against him have hurt him deeply

N Srinivsan says Dilip Vengsarkar's allegations were hurtful

Bengaluru, March 9: N Srinivasan, former BCCI and ICC chief, on Friday (March 9) responded to the allegations directed at him by former Indian captain Dilip Vengsarkar.

During a function in Mumbai, Vengsarkar had alleged that Srinivasan was instrumental in removing him from the post of chief national selector in 2008 after he picked Virat Kohli over Tamil Nadu batsman S Badrinath in the Indian team.

In a release issued by his company India Cements, Srinivasan said he was deeply hurt by Vengsarkar's comments.

"He [Vengsarkar] is trying to create some controversy by suggesting that I was behind his removal when I was only the treasurer of the BCCI. This is totally unwarranted and defies logic," said Srinivasan.

"It is a pity that he is trying to cast aspersions on me. I find it unbecoming and highly unprofessional of a former selector to act in such a manner. I have no animosity towards Vengsarkar and he himself was a beneficiary of the benefit schemes initiated by me," he said.

Dilip Vengsarkar

Detailing the sequence, Srinivasan said it was Vengsarkar's choice not to continue as selector as he wanted to keep his position as the vice-president of the Mumbai Cricket Association.

"In the Board Working Committee meeting in August 2008, which was chaired by Sharad Pawar, it was decided that member of the national selection panel should not be an office-bearer of any member associations.

"I would like to clarify that Vengsarkar, in 2008, was the vice-president of the Mumbai Cricket Association. This is an elected post. At the same time, he was also the chairman of the men's senior team selection committee.

"It was also decided in that meeting that the selection committee members would be paid an annual fee. Pawar was the president and Niranjan Shah, the secretary, then," Srinivasan said.

"At that time, Vengsarkar chose to continue as the vice-president of the Mumbai Cricket Association and hence could not be considered for a post in any of the panels when the reappointment of the selection committees came up in BCCI AGM of 2008," added Srinivasan.

Srinivasan said the issue of not picking Badrinath never arose because both the TN batsman and Kohli were in the Indian squad that toured Sri Lanka.

"The allegation that one player was dropped in favour of another player who was selected for the Indian squad for the tour of Sri Lanka in 2008, which is the decision that allegedly led to his [Vengsarkar's] removal, is itself not even borne out by the events in 2008 as both the players ultimately represented India in the squad in Sri Lanka," clarified Srinivasan.

Story first published: Saturday, March 10, 2018, 10:08 [IST]
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