ICC chairman N Srinivasan cleared of IPL corruption

International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Narayanaswami Srinivasan has been cleared in a report submitted to the Supreme Court by a committee probing allegations of corruption in the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 competition.

The Supreme Court had relieved Srinivasan of his duties as the country’s cricket board president to ensure a fair investigation into the controversy, in which his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was indicted for illegal betting on the 2013 IPL.

The report said Srinivasan, who took over as ICC chairman in July, was not guilty of betting and fixing nor of having tried to prevent the investigation.

Meiyappan, an official of the Chennai Super Kings IPL franchise, was arrested in May last year by Mumbai Police probing illegal betting on the lucrative tournament but he was released on bail after two weeks.

Legal sports betting in India is confined to horse racing.

Srinivasan, often described as the most powerful man in cricket, was also accused of having a conflict of interest because his India Cements company owns the Chennai franchise.

The Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case on Nov. 24 but the report is expected to clear the way for the Chennai native Srinivasan’s return as the head of the Indian cricket board.

Controversy surfaced when former test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and two other local cricketers, all playing for the Rajasthan Royals franchise, were arrested on suspicion of taking money to concede a fixed number of runs.

Sreesanth, who had denied any wrongdoing, was subsequently banned for life by the Indian cricket board.

Source: Reuters