BCCI refutes 'unsustainable' reports of Dalmiya being 'incoherent'

Mumbai, June 25 (IANS) The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday refuted a media report that claimed that the Justice Lodha Committee found the board president 'incoherent and incomprehensible' forcing the Supreme Court-constituted panel to ask who is running the affairs of the governing body.

The panel was appointed by the Supreme Court to decide on the quantum of punishment for former BCCI president N. Srinivasan's son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan and Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra after they were found guilty of betting in the 2013 edition of the tournament.

A report in Thursday's edition of The Times of India claimed that the committee met Dalmiya in Kolkata on Wednesday but was surprised to receive a request from the 75-year-old to be allowed to be accompanied by his son Abhishek at the meeting since he had "illness-related problems".

"Based on the publication of an alleged news article in one of the leading newspapers relating to the President of the Board, contents of which are based on mere surmise and conjecture apart from being defamatory, the BCCI would like to hereby clarify that the proceedings of the Hon'ble Justice Lodha Committee are highly privileged and confidential in nature and that all interactions with the Hon'ble Committee as part of its proceedings, take place behind closed doors only thereby maintaining strict confidentiality," BCCI said in a statement.

"Nobody outside the meeting is privy to any interactions or discussions that take place therein. It is, therefore, stated that any article or information carried via any news publication or otherwise, which attempts to depict the nature of interactions that take place during the course of such meetings with the Committee, is unsustainable and should not be so made or relied upon."

The report claims that the BCCI president "was finding it difficult to comprehend the questions put to him and the questions asked by the panel were relayed by his son to Dalmiya".

"Dalmiya's speech was incoherent and incomprehensible. His son used to translate the 'incoherent and incomprehensible' speech to the committee members," the report quoted a source saying wondering who ran the affairs of the body.

Dalmiya was elected to head BCCI in March, replacing Srinivasan following the corruption scandal.