Keep off IPL, Maken tells BCCI

New Delhi (IANS): Sports Minister Ajay Maken said suspending the players allegedly involved in spot-fixing was not enough and the Indian cricket board needed to do more to get to the root of the problem. He also said the board should keep off the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“Suspending five players is not going to the root of the problem. It (the Board of Control for Cricket in India - BCCI) must get to the root of the problem,” Maken told reporters here.

“The International Cricket Council (ICC) recognises the BCCI to run the sport in India and it is their duty to resolve the issue at the earliest. It (BCCI) is responsible for it and it has to find a solution,” he said.

The BCCI Tuesday barred the five cricketers pending inquiry in the wake of a sting operation by a TV news channel, which claimed corruption in domestic cricket, including the cash-rich IPL.

The suspended players are T.P. Sudhindra (Madhya Pradesh-Deccan Chargers), Mohnish Mishra (Madhya Pradesh-Pune Warriors), Amit Yadav (Goa-Kings XI Punjab), Shalabh Shrivastava (Uttar Pradesh-Kings XI Punjab), and Abhinav Bali (Himachal Pradesh).

Maken also reiterated that the BCCI functioned like other sports federations and came under the ambit of the Right to Information Act (RTI).

“All sports federations must come under RTI. It (BCCI) need not submit their accounts to us, they should open their accounts to RTI. It will bring much-needed credibility to the BCCI,” said Maken.

The minister also added that the BCCI and the IPL should function separately.

“IPL should be at an arm’s length from the BCCI. The IPL and BCCI should be separate entities so that there is no overlapping of interests,” Maken said.

“If you look at English Premier League and other football leagues around the world, they function separately from their national sports federations.”