Cricketgate: Shirke, Jagdale refuse to re-join BCCI

It seems that there are at least two honourable men in the money-grubbing and now scam-tainted Board for Control of Cricket in India. They are treasurer Ajay Shirke and BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale.

Despite requests from Jagmohan Dalmiya, who has accepted temporary charge of the BCCI (without portfolio) as president N Srinivasan seeks to ride out the storm over match-fixing in the Indian Premier League, Shirke and Jagdale have refused to withdraw their resignations.

Earlier on Sunday, former Cricket Board secretary and treasurer Ajay Shirke had made it clear that they had no intention of returning to the BCCI despite being requested by the working committee members to reconsider their decision to resign.

Jagdale and Shirke quit their respective posts last Friday in the wake of the spot-fixing and betting scandal that rocked lovers of cricket across the world, even as the teflon-coated BCCI continues its bizarre dance.

"They were unanimous in asking us (Shirke) to take back the resignation, but I feel bad that I cannot respond in a positive manner," Jagdale said in Indore after an emergent working committee meeting of the Madhya Pradesh cricket administration.

Shirke said, "I don`t want to act pricey or displease anyone, but I cannot continue."

Bowing to all-round pressure, N Srinivasan on Sunday had agreed to "step aside" as BCCI President under a compromise formula that brought back former chief Jagmohan Dalmiya as head of a four-member "interim arrangement" to run the Board.