Thakur hits back at Srinivasan on bookie links allegation

New Delhi, April 27

The internal feud within the BCCI took an ugly turn on Monday with Board secretary Anurag Thakur launching a stinging attack on ICC chairman N Srinivasan, saying that he should actually share information on bookies with his own family members “whose involvement in betting has been proved”.

A day after ICC issued an advisory to Thakur to stay away from suspected bookies, the BCCI secretary hit back at Srinivasan through an open letter in which he questioned the timing of the “counter offensive” initiated at the behest of the ICC chairman.

Reports had said that BCCI was sent a letter by the ICC about Thakur being seen with an alleged bookie Karan Gilhotra in Chandigarh and the BJP MP's office today issued a media release.

"The BCCI has received intimation from the ICC ostensibly under your direction that I should keep away from one Mr Karan Gilhotra who is a 'suspected bookie'. The intimation further states that the information is further unverified," Thakur said in a scathing letter to Srinivasan.

"I have earlier been joint secretary of the BCCI under your presidentship and I am now secretary of BCCI. I only wish that you had shared the list of 'unverified suspected bookies' with me and other colleagues so that we could identify such persons and keep away from them. I have known this person, who has been active in political and cricketing activities in Punjab and adjacent states. I had no knowledge or any clue about his 'activities as a suspected bookie', he said.

Thakur said “it is curious that intimation about having known this 'suspected bookie' was brought to the ICC notice by your friend Mr Neeraj Gunde. Mr Neeraj Gunde incidentally is circulating to the media in Delhi the details of documents against your critics in the BCCI. He operates on your behalf”.

He alleged that a procured complaint and an ICC advisory based on unverified information was issued on Srinivasan's behest on the eve of the BCCI Working Committee meeting. It was intended to be a counter offensive since Srinivasan had not reconciled with my election as secretary BCCI.

"I would request at least now share with me or other colleagues in BCCI the list of suspected bookies in India so that we may keep away from them. You may also share this information with your family members whose involvement in betting has been proved," he said.

"Since the ICC advisory to me had been made in public I would be making this letter to you public," Thakur wrote in the letter addressed to Srinivasan on his BCCI letter-head.

It is understood that the matter was brought up in the BCCI Working Committee meeting in Kolkata yesterday but president Jagmohan Dalmiya paid no heed to the ICC letter.

Even though the ICC letter came under the name of CEO Dave Richardson, it was seen as the handiwork of Srinivasan.

It was speculated that Dalmiya and company will not react on this letter but Thakur's remarks have stirred up a hornet's nest.

The former BCCI supremo is also under-fire with the issue involving the contentious valuation of the India Cements-owned CSK franchise.

While there were arguments from both sides during the BCCI working committee meeting, a press release later in the day said that the board would seek 'further legal opinion on the demerger and transfer of shares of CSK for further action'. — PTI