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The feud within the Board of Control for Cricket in India took an ugly turn on Monday with its secretary, Anurag Thakur, launching a stinging attack on ICC chairman Narayanaswami Srinivasan, saying he must share information about bookies with his own family members "whose involvement in betting has been proved".
A day after the ICC issued an advisory to Thakur to stay away from suspected bookies, the BCCI secretary hit back at Srinivasan through an open letter in which he questioned the timing of the "counter offensive" initiated at the behest of the ICC chairman.
Reports had said that the BCCI received a letter from the ICC about Thakur being seen with an alleged bookie, Karan Gilhotra, in Chandigarh.
"The BCCI has received intimation from the ICC ostensibly under your direction that I should keep away from one Mr. Karan Gilhotra who is a 'suspected bookie'. The intimation furthur states that the information is further unverified," said Thakur in his letter to Srinivasan.
"I have earlier been Joint Secretary of the BCCI under your Presidentship and I am now Secretary BCCI. I only wish that you had shared the list of 'unverified suspected bookies' with me and other colleagues so that we could identify such persons and keep away from them. I have known this person, who has been active in political and cricketing activities in Punjab and adjacent states. I had no knowledge or any clue about his 'activites as a supected bookie'," he added.
Thakur said "it is curious that intimation about having known this 'suspected bookie' was brought to the ICC notice by your friend Mr. Neeraj Gunde. Mr. Neeraj Gunde incidentally is circulating to the media in Delhi the details of documents against your critics in the BCCI. He operates on your behalf".
He alleged that a procured complaint and an ICC advisory based on unverified information was issued on Srinivasan's behest on the eve of the BCCI Working Committee meeting. It was intended to be a counter offensive since Srinivasan had not reconciled with my election as secretary BCCI.
"I would request at least now share with me or other colleagues in BCCI the list of suspected bookies in India so that we may keep away from them. You may also share this information with your family members whose involvement in betting has been proved," Thakur’s letter added.
Image: Anurag Thakur