New Delhi: Former India wicketkeeper-batsman Surender Khanna, who along with ex-India captain Bishan Singh Bedi has long been involved in a campaign to clean up sport including the local cricket association, was on Thursday elated with the Supreme Court judgement holding cricket control board president-in-exile Narayanswami Srinivasan guilty over a conflict of interest issue.

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“This is a landmark and historic judgement,” Khanna told this paper. “I salute both judges as their decision wilt help bring back faith in clean sports that has been slowly ebbing away in the last 15-20 years — not only in cricket but all the associations and federations that have been ruled by groups and coteries.

“For years now, the courts have been mute to the abuse of power and the government silent as it was often politicians cutting across party lines who held these top posts. They were part of it. One can now only hope and pray that the strong observations of justices T.S. Thakur and F.M.I. Kalifulla will bring some relief. This is a start, a new beginning.”

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In its observations the Supreme Court noted on the day, “Amendment in the BCCI rules allowing Srinivasan to own IPL team is bad as conflict of interest in cricket leads to great confusion.

“No one who has commercial interest including N. Srinivasan shall be eligible for any post in the BCCI and this disqualification on ground of commercial interest shall continue till such commercial interest will exist.”

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Khanna averred that there was no ambiguity in the court’s verdict. “Let’s be clear on this. The court has said that he cannot stand for the BCCI election (in six weeks time) as long as he remains a team owner. And to give up ownership of Chennai Super Kings and India Cements (CSK’s owner, of which Srinivasan is vice-chairman) in a credible way is not going to be easy.”

The attacking batsman-stumper added that Cricket Association of Bihar secretary Aditya Verma - the spearhead of the battle to curb Srinivasan’s powers — could not be forgotten. “Ek Bihari, sab ko bhari,” Khanna said, smiling. “No one took him seriously initially but he has fought on and made his point.

“In one sense, Srinivasan alone is not to blame, He is a symptom of a rotten system, a cosy club. I hope the judgement today starts the process where we can look forward to clean sport and a better future.”