Aditya Verma, the man who fought BCCI

Hyderabad: On Tuesday, Aditya Verma was a relieved man following the Supreme Court’s suggestion that N. Srinivasan step down as BCCI chief to facilitate a fair probe into the IPL betting and spot-fixing scandal.

The Cricket Association of Bihar secretary took the bull by the horns when he filed a PIL in the Supreme Court last July, challenging the constitution of the two-member probe panel that was set up by the BCCI and IPL Governing Council following the betting and spot-fixing scandal. And after waging a lone battle for eight months against the mighty cricket board, Verma’s stand has been vindicated.

“It has been a long battle against the BCCI and today I am proud that it has reached this stage,” Verma said on Tuesday.

“The BCCI doesn’t listen to a common man like me, so that is why it was necessary to take the battle to the courtroom.

“I have received death threats and various other things were tried to stop me, but I have not given up. I believe that the mess is within the BCCI itself and for that Srinivasan must quit. I will fight for it as long as I can,” he added.

Before the petition, Verma was little-known as the secretary of the unrecognised Bihar cricket body. Having played cricket in his university days, Verma first butted heads with the BCCI in his fight for his state’s cricket body to be recognised so youngsters from the state can realise their potential. He continues to fight for recognition and while his mission remains largely the same, it now has a new parameter  to cleanse the BCCI of “corrupt practices and people.”