Ramachandra Guha wants 'world-class cricketer' Javagal Srinath in BCCI's COA

Bengaluru, June 2: Former India fast bowler Javagal Srinath should be included in the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) Committee of Administrators (COA), according to historian Ramachandra Guha.

Guha attacks Gavaskar, Dhoni

Yesterday (June 1), Guha quit COA citing personal reasons. And after resigning he penned a letter to the panel head Vinod Rai where he expressed his disappointment with various things in BCCI.

He attacked BCCI's "superstar syndrome" and the "superstar culture" in the Indian team. He also did not spare former India captain and batting legend Sunil Gavaskar for conflict of interest.

With him exiting COA, Guha suggested Srinath's name to be added. "The absence of a respected male cricketer in the COA has attracted a great deal of criticism already, much of it from important stakeholders in Indian cricket. It must be addressed and remedied," he wrote.

"The amicus curae had suggested two outstanding names, Venkat (S Venkataraghavan) and (Bishan Singh) Bedi, both of whom were rejected because they were over seventy. However, there are some cricketers of the right age and experience who fit the bill," he added.

He continued, "Based on my knowledge of the subject, I would say Javagal Srinath would be an excellent choice. He is a world-class cricketer, was a successful and scandal-free Secretary of the Karnataka State Cricket Association and is an ICC match referee, and comes from an educated technical background to boot.

"I strongly urge the Chairman and the other members to consider approaching him in this regard. He would complement Diana perfectly, and the combination of these two respected and top class former cricketers would enhance our credibility and effectiveness enormously.

"While Srinath is in my view the best choice, there are other alternative names too. I hope we can set aside some time at our meeting to discuss and resolve the issue."

The 47-year-old Srinath is currently ICC match referee. He played 67 Tests and 229 One Day Internationals for India.

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