Roger Binny likely to replace Sourav Ganguly as BCCI president
New Delhi, October 11
India’s 1983 World Cup-winning hero Roger Binny is likely to replace Sourav Ganguly as the BCCI president when the Board will hold its AGM on October 18, sources in the cricket body said on Tuesday.
After hectic parleys and back-channel discussions in the past week, it was decided that the 67-year-old from Bengaluru would be the 36th Board president, one of the sources familiar with the development, said.
Jay Shah, son of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, will continue as BCCI secretary for his second consecutive term. Shah is also expected to replace Ganguly as India’s representative at the all-powerful ICC Board.
“An influential minister in the central government played a key role in deciding the positions in the Board set-up,” a BCCI source told PTI.
Binny, though, is a surprise choice to head the BCCI.
However, hints were dropped that his name would crop up for some position when the Karnataka State Cricket Association named him as its representative at the BCCI AGM instead of secretary Santosh Menon.
“Roger is one of the finest human beings and a thorough gentleman, who has graced the field for India. Plus he is also a World Cup hero and has a squeaky clean image. He had resigned from the selection committee as his son Stuart back then was in contention to be in the Indian team,” said another BCCI source.
“He is the right choice for the job,” the source added.
The only Congressman in the BCCI cabinet is Rajeev Shukla, who will continue as vice president. Sports minister Anurag Thakur’s younger brother Arun Dhumal, who is currently the treasurer, will now become the IPL chairman. He will replace Brijesh Patel.
Influential Maharashtra BJP leader Ashish Shelar will be the new treasurer which means that he won’t become the Mumbai Cricket Association president. He was supposed to take up the role with support from the Sharad Pawar faction.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s close aide Devajit Saikia will replace Jayesh George as the new joint secretary.
Binny will officially take charge of the BCCI on October 18 at the AGM in Mumbai. There won’t be any election to any post as all candidates will be chosen unopposed.
All the people in the fray, including Shah and Shukla, are in Mumbai and will file nomination papers on Tuesday.
Whether the BCCI will contest for the ICC chairmanship hasn’t been decided yet.
The medium-pacer was one of the architects of India’s historic World Cup triumph in 1983. In eight games, he took 18 wickets, the highest in that edition of the prestigious tournament.
Ganguly refused IPL chairmanship
Ganguly, who reached Mumbai on Monday evening, had a lot of meetings with the stakeholders in New Delhi, last week.
The former India captain was keen to continue as BCCI president but was told that there is no precedence of giving a second term to the Board president.
“Sourav was offered the IPL chairmanship but he politely declined. His logic was that he could not accept becoming head of a sub-committee in the BCCI after heading the same institution. He had expressed interest in continuing in the position,” the BCCI source said.
In case of Dhumal, the decision-makers waited for Ganguly to take a call on the IPL chairmanship, and once he refused, they promoted the Himachal man, who is known to be one of the most efficient men in last BCCI cabinet.
With Ganguly moving out of the picture, the East representation was always going to be Assam CM Biswa Sarma’s call as he played a key role even last time.
The names of members in the BCCI Apex Council and IPL Governing Council will be known when the final list will be published in a few days.
