Suspension not enough, BCCI must do more: Maken

New Delhi: Sports Minister Ajay Maken Wednesday said suspending five domestic players allegedly involved in spot-fixing was not enough and the Indian cricket board needed to do more to get to the root cause of the menacing problem.

"Suspending the players does not mean that BCCI has got to the root of the problem. They must find out the root cause of the problem," Maken told reporters here.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Tuesday barred the five cricketers pending an inquiry in the wake of a sting operation by a TV news channel which claimed corruption in domestic cricket, including the cash-rich Indian Premier League.

The suspended players are T.P. Sudhindra (Madhya Pradesh-Deccan Chargers), Mohnish Mishra (Madhya Pradesh-Pune Warriors), Amit Yadav (Goa-Kings XI Punjab), Shalabh Shrivastava (Uttar Pradesh-Kings XI Punjab), and Abhinav Bali (Himachal Pradesh).

Maken also reiterated his stance on the independent functioning of the BCCI, saying it was time the powerful board should work as a sports federation and come under the ambit of the Right to Information Act (RTI).

"All sports federations must come under RTI," Maken said, adding that the BCCI and the IPL should function separately.

BCCI president N. Srinivisan is also the owner of Indian Premier League franchise Chennai Super Kings. (IANS)