Gurunath runs the CSK team, says Hussey

Board of Control for Cricket in India president N Srinivasan has distanced himself from his son-in-law, Chennai Super Kings Team Principal Gurunath Meiyappan, following the spot-fixing and betting scandal that rocked the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League.

He called Meiyappan 'just a cricket enthusiast', but Chennai Super Kings opener Michael Hussey says the betting accused was actually running the IPL team.

In his book, Underneath The Southern Cross, Hussey says team owner N Srinivasan had handed control of the team to Meiyappan.

"Our owner was Indian Cements, headed by Mr Srinivasan," wrote Hussey in the book.

"As he was also on the board of the BCCI, he gave control of the team to his son-in-law Mr Gurunath. He ran the team along with Kepler Wessels, who was coach."

Gurunath was chargesheeted along with 21 others for gambling, cheating and criminal conspiracy, in the IPL spot-fixing case. He is accused of revealing confidential information of his team and using the same for betting.

'This is a matter for Mr Gurunath Meiyappan to deal with. If he is chargesheeted, the law will take it own course. He has been suspended so he has got nothing to do with the game,' Srinivasan had said.

'It is upto him to defend his position, it has got nothing to do with me,' he added.

Gurunath was arrested by the Mumbai Police in May and named in betting chargesheet last month. The Supreme Court of India is hearing a matter related to him.

Prior to his arrest, the senior CSK official was involved in the functioning of the Chennai team and was spotted in the team dugout and at auction tables.

Gurunath also represented himself as the Team Principal on a verified Twitter account.

After the scandal broke out, a two-member probe panel was constituted by the BCCI and it eventually cleared Chennai Super Kings of any wrongdoing, but the Cricket Association of Bihar moved court and obtained a stay order.

The Supreme Court has said Srinivasan, who was re-elected BCCI president in the AGM last Sunday, will not participate in matters relating to the IPL and spot-fixing issue.

The next hearing is scheduled for October 7.