"We were extremely reluctant to implement the DRS and had no belief in the ball tracking system. BCCI is not averse to technology and agreed to a minimum usage of DRS including 'Hot Spot' at the last ICC meeting in Hong Kong," said N Srinivasan after taking over the reins of the BCCI from Shashank Manohar on Monday.
"We were under the impression that 'Hot Spot' was very good. It is not necessary for me to dwell on the accuracy of 'Hot Spot". It was there for everybody to see.
"The BCCI will raise this issue at the next ICC meeting. We want to revisit it as we feel 'Hot Spot' is insufficient technology and therefore we would request (ICC) that it be revised. This is the position we will take", said Srinivasan at the media conference after the Board's 82nd AGM where he took over as its president.
"At the last meeting Mr Manohar had opposed DRS before laying down office and at the next meeting I will do it," he added.
The BCCI's ire on DRS has increased following the controversial dismissals of India's mainstay on the tour, Rahul Dravid, through 'Hot Spot'.
In an another incident, VVS Laxman was declared not out by this technology only for former England captain Michael Vaughan to question the batsman's integrity by accusing him of having used Vaseline on the bat's edges to beat 'Hot Spot' technology.
At the AGM, Sanjay Jagdale of MPCA, Himachal Pradesh's Anurag Thakur and Maharashtra's Ajay Shirke were elected unopposed as secretary, joint secretary and treasurer respectively of the country's richest sports body.
Two new vice presidents - Chitrak Mitra and Sudhir Dabir representing East and Central zones - were also elected without any fight along with Arun Jaitley (North), Shivlal Yadav (South) and Niranjan Shah (West).
The senior selection panel was also recast with 1983 World Cup hero Mohinder Amarnath being the lone new face in the five-man committee replacing Yashpal Sharma from North Zone.
Krishnamachari Srikkanth, of South, would continue to be its chairman while three other committee members - Surendra Bhave (West), Narendra Hirwani (Central) and Raja Venkat (East) were also re-appointed for one more year.
The indications are that Amarnath, son of former India skipper Lala, would take over as the chairman of the panel when Srikkanth's term ends next September along with those of the other three panel members.
Amarnath's place in the IPL Governing Council was taken by outgoing treasurer M P Pandove, a former first class cricketer, while Ravi Shastri would remain as the second cricketer in the BCCI sub-committee which would be headed by Rajiv Shukla, Srinivasan said.
Srinivasan also said that Sunil Gavaskar had stepped down from the chairmanship of the Technical Committee and would be replaced by another former India skipper Sourav Ganguly after getting his consent to accept the post.
"Mr Gavaskar has written a nice letter to us that he has been on the technical committee for a long time and it's time to get fresh ideas. So he has resigned. It is our intention to appoint Saurav Ganguly as the chairman of the committee. But we have to first get his consent," Srinivasan stated.
Asked why did the Board, after having reduced the cooling off period for a retired player to serve on the selection committee from ten to five years, appoint Amarnath- who retired in 1989 - as its new selector, Srinivasan said Amarnath's credentials cannot be questioned.
"I don't think anybody would dispute his qualification to be in the selection committee," the Board chief said about the appointment of the 60-year-old Amarnath as replacement for Yashpal.
Ranjib Biswal, whose hopes of becoming the new secretary were dashed by strong opposition from his Zone, was appointed as the vice chairman of the National Cricket Academy headed by Anil Kumble in place of Shirke.
Farooq Abdulla remained as the head of the marketing committee, Joytiraditya Scindia as the finance committee head while Arun Jaitley would head the tours programme and fixtures committee.
Srinivasan also said a new committee, headed by Pandove, would be formed to oversee the functioning of the specialist national academies for fast bowlers, spinners, batsmen and wicket keepers.
Rubbishing reports that their contracts with the BCCI prevented Gavaskar and Shastri from criticising the Board on the air or in their columns, Srinivasan said the BCCI has not imposed any gag on the two former players.
"There is no clause forbidding them to talk against the Board. The Board does not believe in gagging people from talking against it. Not every report in the newspapers is complimentary to the Board. We are here to administer the game and not to get popular. In case there are any constructive criticism we will take note of them," he said.
Asked about resumption of bilateral cricket ties between India and Pakistan, which had stopped following the 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai, Srinivasan said "there is nothing on the table at the moment".
Srinivasan also explained why the Indian team did not attend the ICC Awards function in London which prompted the world governing body's CEO Haroon Lorgat terming it "a shame".
"ICC sent an invitation to Mr Shashank Manohar and to me (as BCCI president and secretary respectively). Neither of us could go as we were busy. But no specific invitation had gone to the team. Later on an ICC team went to Lord's to invite the players on September 11, but by then the players had made their plans (to go elsewhere)," he said.
Srinivasan also dismissed suggestions that the Board was more interested in conducting the IPL.
"The BCCI is focused on domestic cricket. It is also focused on the performance of the team in all three formats. IPL is an important property. But the entire focus is not on that," he explained.
Srinivasan also said there was no move to appoint a permanent manager for the team by the Board, adding this item was a constant on the agenda of the AGMs.
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