MUMBAI: The stage is set for former India captainSourav Gangulyto be the next president of the Indian cricket board (BCCI), with elections unlikely to be held at BCCI’s Annual General Meeting on October 23.
In a unanimous stand against the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators’ (COA) functioning, all members of the BCCI came together in an informal setting at a five-star hotel in Mumbai on Sunday, signalling their emphatic return to the corridors of Indian cricket administration.
The meeting had a fair share of drama as two powerful lobbies, one backed by Anurag Thakur and another by N Srinivasan, pushed for their candidate to be appointed the next president.
Eventually, it was agreed that Ganguly would become the nextBCCI presidentwhile Karnataka’sBrijesh Patel, earlier expected to be president, would take over as chairman of IPL Governing Council. Jay Shah, from Gujarat and son of Union minister Amit Shah, is likely to be secretary while Arun Singh Thakur from Himachal Pradesh is likely to become treasurer.
Devajit Saikia from Assam Cricket Association is in contention to be the Board’s joint secretary.
Patel new IPL chief; Gaekwad beats Azad for ICA position
N Srinivasan is learnt to have met Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday to push Patel’s candidature. Meanwhile, Ganguly too met Shah in New Delhi the same day, conveying his interest in becoming the next president. He was learnt to have the backing of Thakur.
“Finally, the decision was taken to bring Sourav on board. He will have just 10 months as president but he has a lot of experience as an administrator, considering he’s efficiently headed the Cricket Association of Bengal. Moreover, under the COA, cricket has suffered badly, so someone like Ganguly will be instrumental in putting things back together, ”sources tracking developments told TOI.
BCCI’s nine-member apex council will constitute a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, joint secretary; male representative of the cricketers ’association; a female representative; a representative from the IPL Governing Council and a representative from the central government.
Former India opener Anshuman Gaekwad will be the male representative of the cricketers association after he won the election with 471 votes, beating another former India cricketer Kirti Azad ( (votes).
Former India women’s captain Shantha Rangaswamy has been elected the female representative of the cricketers’ association after her unanimous appointment while former Delhi cricketer Surinder Khanna will be the IPL GC representative at the Council.
Former BCCI president Anurag Thakur, whose term at the board had been brought to an unceremonious end in January 2017 after the appointment of the COA, played a crucial role in the appointment process along with Srinivasan.
The members haven’t decided yet on another important matter, as to who will represent BCCI at the ICC. “That will be decided next month,” sources said.
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