13 January,2011 09:21 AM IST | | Debasish Datta
The Indian cricket board wanted former captain turned commentator to accompany a group of BCCI officials to face a Parliamentary committee which questioned them about irregularities in the Indian Premier League in New Delhi yesterday. "The BCCI wanted me to go with them if I would have been in Bangalore for the player auction," Shastri told MiD DAY here yesterday at the opening game of the five-match one-day series. "They wanted me to go because, as a senior cricketer, I could explain how BCCI is promoting the game throughout the country."
Asked if he would have thrown in some thoughts on the financial aspect (Shastri is on the governing council of the IPL), he said, "I know nothing about BCCI's funds. Why would I talk about that aspect."
Shastri knows a fair bit of how the game is run in this country though. Apart from playing international cricket for over two decades, he has been a state captain and was the chairman of the National Cricket Academy before Anil Kumble over last year.
According to reports, Board officials like chief Shashank Manohar, secretary N Srinivasan and IPL chairman Chirayu Amin deposed before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha.
The cricketing personalities were asked to clarify matters relating to alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) while conducting the IPL. The committee is believed to have taken a serious view of some IPL franchises being funded by organisations and individuals based in places like Mauritius and Bahamas.
