FICA demands probe into Siva appointment

A miffed Federation of International Cricketers Association on Tuesday demanded an ICC ethics committee enquiry into BCCI-backed L Sivaramakrishnan’s appointment as a players’ representative in the governing body, saying captains could have been forced to vote against incumbent Tim May.

A miffed Federation of International Cricketers Association on Tuesday demanded an ICC ethics committee enquiry into BCCI-backed L Sivaramakrishnan’s appointment as a players’ representative in the governing body, saying captains could have been forced to vote against incumbent Tim May.

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Sivaramakrishnan replaced May, who is also the FICA CEO, on the ICC Cricket Committee after a reported re-vote pushed for by the BCCI.

It is alleged that in the initial vote, May had won 9-1 but the BCCI used its financial might to coerce the Boards of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe into asking their respective captains to vote for Sivaramakrishnan.

FICA’s legal advisor Ian Smith said Boards were pressurised despite ICC warnings of not interfering in the secret ballot.

“In light of media reports that five ICC full member boards applied direct pressure on their captains to amend their votes in the recent elections, FICA's official stance is that these allegations must warrant careful and independent scrutiny,” Smith said.