BCCI mulls criminal proceedings

His back against the wall after the IPL spot-fixing scandal, BCCI President N Srinivasan has not ruled out filing a criminal complaint against the arrested 'dirty cricketers', insisting that no one is hurting more than him because of the crisis. "If permitted, we will file a criminal case against them," said Srinivasan on being asked whether the BCCI would file a case against the arrested players. "The person who is hurting the most is me. We are hurting like anything...No punishment is too little for them," Srinivasan told Karan Thapar in 'Devil's Advocate' programme on CNN-IBN channel. Facing criticism for not keeping a check on the menace of fixing despite warnings from various quarters, the defiant BCCI chief insisted that it is the greed of individual players that has created the ongoing crisis. "IPL has not let down people, it is the dirty cricketers who have let down people. We feel bad that such a thing has happened. But I don't have to personally apologise as long as people can see that we are acting against the problem," he said. "We are really shocked. I have no words to condemn what has happened. We want it never to happen again. We are an honest organisation," he added. Srinivasan defended the league which, according to some experts of the game, has created fertile ground for fixing and manipulation. "That's a very big generalisation. We have to admit that three players have been arrested. Their lawyers are saying they are innocent. We have to wait for the Delhi Police to substantiate these allegations," Srinivasan said. Asked whether the Board is in a state of denial given that corruption was exposed in the league even last season, a defiant Srinivasan said, "I am not in a state of denial. There was some evidence, police have made their statement fine...All I am saying is the players are innocent till proven guilty. "The BCCI has issued a showcause notice to them but I concede that it is a shock. I never expected that a Test player like Sreesanth and others would be accused of such wrongdoing," he added. Srinivasan, in fact, lost his composure when he was repeatedly questioned on the IPL's credibility and asserted that some players going haywire should not be seen as evidence of the entire league being fixed. "For the last two days, everybody has asked me the same question but I would say, it is the biggest tournament in the world, we should be proud of. "The point I am making is that everybody is berating IPL saying that IPL is finished. But I am saying that yes players have been arrested and naturally it will have some impact," he added. "Not only does it worry me but I have to sit here and listen that IPL finished. Three players have done something is wrong but the entire IPL is not bad." Asked how would the BCCI react if the speculation of more players being involved comes out to be true, Srinivasan said, "If that evidence comes out, we will deal with it. The BCCI is very concerned but I cannot go out and tell what our committee will do."