04 July,2014 08:37 AM IST | | PTI
New ICC chairman and barred BCCI chief N Srinivasan hopes to come out clean, says will speak once the probe committee submits its final report
ICC chairman N Srinivasan during the ICC Annual Conference in Melbourne recently. Pic/AFP.
New Delhi: Maintaining firmly that his "conscience is clear", new ICC chairman N Srinivasan yesterday said he has "done nothing to tarnish the image of the game" and will speak out once the Probe Committee headed by Justice (Retd) Mukul Mudgal tables the final report.
ICC chairman N Srinivasan during the ICC Annual Conference in Melbourne recently. Pic/AFP.
"Let the report come out and I will speak. I would like to say one thing. My conscience is clear. I have not done anything to tarnish the game, bring disrepute or done anything wrong. I do hope that this will come out cleanly. When there is something before he court, I don't want to say anything more," Srinivasan told NDTV.
âI don't poke my nose'
Srinivasan reiterated that he has himself "stepped aside" from functioning as the BCCI president and does not interfere or intervene in its activities. "I have stepped aside and I don't have a habit of going inside and poking my nose," he said.
He was sarcastic when asked about the never-ending controversy of his "conflict of interest". "What is conflict of interest? This is now going on for many years."
Srinivasan said that it will be difficult for him to answer a question as to how it feels to be ICC chairman despite such legal hassles. "Difficult question to answer now that it's all over. The attempts that were made in some quarters didn't succeed and other members of the ICC reposed faith in BCCI and me. As a result, election was unanimous. So in hindsight, it's difficult for me to say what was going through my mind at that time," he said.
âCan't speak freely now'
The India Cements supremo, which owns Chennai Super Kings, feels that he is at a "disadvantageous position" as some matters are still pending on court. "I am at a disadvantage as some matters are still pending in court. That's why I am not able to speak freely."
Srinivasan defended ICC's Anti-Corruption & Security Unit stating that they are doing "significant amount" of but have a few bottlenecks as they can't act like a law-enforcement agency.
"I don't think ICC has failed to do it. In fact, ICC has stepped up the vigil. An important aspect in the whole issue is that there has been lot of efforts to educate players as to what extent approaches can be made. In fact I understand that the players have started to report more about approaches."
