Chennai Super Kings' officials in quandary over appeal

Chennai: The franchisee officials of Chennai Super Kings are in quandary over the appeal procedure after being suspended from IPL for two years by a Supreme Court-appointed panel on Tuesday. Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd (CSKCL) is the current franchisee owners after it was demerged from the India Cements Ltd. Earlier this year, the Indian Cements-owned shares were transferred to a trust which is a separate entity.

A key franchisee official said he wasn’t sure whether the newly-formed CSKCL can appeal against the suspension. “The excerpts of the verdict say ‘Committee proposes to impose sanction on India Cements Ltd under Section 6, rule 4.2(c) of the Operational Rules by suspending it from the League for a period of two years. But the team is a separate entity now.

“So we have to go through the full order copy and consult with our legal staff on our next course of action. We are likely to take the call only on Wednesday. We have to get a clarification on whether we can appeal as Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited or only India Cements Ltd has the rights,” said the official.

N. Srinivasan is currently holidaying in England with his family and the official stressed that “the current ICC chairman has nothing to do with Chennai Super Kings team”.“The directors of the CSKL will discuss and decide how to go about it,” he added.

“The team didn’t indulge in a corrupt activity, only an individual was found guilty according to the verdict. We feel the punishment was harsh on the team for no fault of theirs. We haven’t spoken to any of the players after the verdict and they will be kept in the loop,” he added.