Indian cricket board president Ranbir Singh Mahendra on Sunday took a dig at those who have dragged him to court in Chennai saying they were not connected with the game of cricket.
Mahendra, who was conferred with the honorary life membership of one of the board's affiliated units — the Cricket Club of India, also expressed confidence that BCCI was competent enough to handle the problems.
"BCCI is competent enough to handle and overcome all these problems. The persons doing these are not connected with the game of cricket. We, however, welcome suggestions from any quarter about the game," he said after receiving the CCI's membership from ex-board chief PM Rungta.
Mahendra and International Cricket Council chief Ehsan Mani have been served with a contempt of court notice based on newspaper reports about the attendance of former board president Jagmohan Dalmiya at the March 17 meeting of ICC at New Delhi in violation of a court order on a petition filed by a Chennai-based cricket club.
The VIth Chennai City Civil Court Judge Mohideen Pitchai had ordered notice to Mani and Mahendra, returnable on March 28, on a contempt application filed by Chennai-based Sir Theagaraya Recreation Club for permitting Dalmiya to attend the ICC meeting as a representative of BCCI.
{{/usCountry}}The VIth Chennai City Civil Court Judge Mohideen Pitchai had ordered notice to Mani and Mahendra, returnable on March 28, on a contempt application filed by Chennai-based Sir Theagaraya Recreation Club for permitting Dalmiya to attend the ICC meeting as a representative of BCCI.
{{/usCountry}}Pitchai had restrained the BCCI from nominating Dalmiya as its representative to ICC meetings on January 25.
The Chennai club had sought to punish Mani and Mahendra, based on an ICC spokesman Brendan McClement's disclosure, widely published in the media, that Dalmiya had attended the ICC meeting as a representative of BCCI.
Mahendra was replying to CCI president Raj Singh Dungarpur's opening address that the board was going through a difficult phase in reference to the plethora of court cases.
"I have known Mahendra for a long time now. He's not a person who is influenced easily. He will give a patient hearing and then do what he thinks is right. I am sure that Ranbir Singh would play his part (in overcoming the troubles facing BCCI)," said ex-BCCI chief Dungarpur in praise of Mahendra.
Mahendra, later replying to a query, told reporters that the board was committed to support Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh whose bowling action has again come under the scrutiny of the International Cricket Council.
"We are with Harbhajan Singh. We are not agreeing with the (contention of the) umpires," he said.