In just eight months as the president, Shashank Manohar seems to have created a sharp division within the BCCI.
Assessments have followed his almost predictable resignation on Tuesday with loyalists lauding him for taking “some important steps” to help the cricket board restore its credibility while another a section has condemned his leadership.
“The BCCI is under pressure at the moment and it needs strong leadership. Jumping ship, leaving his colleagues in the lurch, is not good leadership,” an office bearer of the Indian cricket board told The Indian Express.
On the face of it, Manohar’s decision to step down from the BCCI hot seat has a lot to do with the ICC constitutional change.
WATCH VIDEO | Shashank Manohar Resigns As BCCI President With Eye On ICC Post
The world body will elect its new chairman – a position Manohar currently holds – later this month and as per the amendment, the new appointee will be independent without any allegiance to his home board.
Severing ties with the BCCI allows Manohar to become the new ICC chairman for an unbroken five-year stint.
The Lodha Committee recommendations to overhaul the BCCI structure and functioning, too, played a part. According to an insider, Manohar became frustrated with the ongoing legal wrangles and opted for a safe route.
READ: Shashank Manohar resigns as BCCI president with eye on ICC post
The Supreme Court has already said it would prevent all attempts to “filibuster” or “prolong” the much-needed reforms in the administration of cricket in India.
The 2013 IPL spot-fixing and betting controversy severely dented the BCCI’s image and Manohar was a unanimous choice to play the lead following Jagmohan Dalmiya’s death in September last year.
The cricket board had already started its image makeover and after Manohar officially took charge in October – his second term – he tried to facilitate the efforts.
Many things, from the BCCI constitution to tenders, have been put in the public domain.
An independent ombudsman has been appointed to look into the conflict of interest issue.
A CEO has been roped in as per the Lodha Committee recommendation.
Manohar’s decision as ICC chairman to scrap the 2014 revenue-sharing model that favoured the ‘Big Three’, however, didn’t go down well with a large section in the BCCI and its affiliates.
Doing away with the restructuring (a six per cent cut) means the BCCI would receive about Rs 1,000 crore less every year.
It will be interesting to see who replaces Manohar.
The BCCI has to call a Special General Meeting to nominate his successor and a proposed cap on the upper age limit all but rules out Sharad Pawar or N Srinivasan’s return.
Maharashtra Cricket Association president Ajay Shirke’s name is doing the rounds but with the elections due in September, there’s also a possibility that the senior-most vice-president might temporarily fill the vacant boots.
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