N. Srinivasan made Gurunath Meiyappan Chennai Super Kings team boss, reveals Mike Hussey in book

In what could turn out to be a sensational revelation, Chennai Super Kings' Australian opener Mike Hussey has said that Board of Control for Cricket in India chief N. Srinivasan's son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was 'put in charge' of the franchise. In his book Underneath The Southern Cross, Hussey has become the first player to suggest openly that Meiyappan was involved in the day-to-day functioning of the team. Hussey also adds that Meiyappan was put in charge by none other than N. Srinivasan.

"Our owner was Indian Cements, headed by Mr Srinivasan," Hussey has written. "As he was also on the board of the BCCI, he gave control of the team to his son-in-law Mr Gurunath. He ran the team along with Kepler Wessels, who was coach."

After his arrest in the IPL betting scandal, CSK have distanced themselves from Meiyappan, calling him a 'mere cricket enthusiast'. However, prior to the scandal, Meiyappan was often seen in the CSK dugout during matches and possessed an IPL accreditation card which represented him as an team owner. He was subsequently charged by the Mumbai police in the IPL betting scandal.

Previously, a two-member BCCI probe panel cleared CSK of any wrongdoing. However, the Cricket Association of Bihar challenged the validity of the panel in the Bombay High Court, successfully securing a stay order on its findings.

The timing of Hussey's revelation couldn't be worse for N. Srinivasan, who is fighting the case in the Supreme Court to regain his position at the head of the board. Srinivasan was given a one-year extension as president at the BCCI AGM on Sunday but can't assume control unless cleared by the top court. The next hearing is on October 7.