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BCCI is seeking an India player of stature to replace Roger Binny as president.
Roger Binny has stepped down as BCCI president (Picture Credit: AFP)
Several stakeholders in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are reportedly hoping for an ‘India player of stature’ to replace Roger Binny as the president.
Binny, the former India pacer who played 27 Tests and 72 ODIs for the country, has vacated the post since turning 70 in July and cannot be re-elected as president. He was in the post since October after replacing Sourav Ganguly, one of the most popular former captains of the international team.
According to PTI, the decision on his replacement will be taken at the BCCI Annual General Meeting in September, with the board not waiting for the National Sports Governance Act to come into effect.
“There is a feeling among important stakeholders that a cricketer of distinction should always be elected as president. Sourav Ganguly was a decorated India skipper and Roger Binny India’s first World Cup winning hero. However, how many such cricketers of repute would be interested in taking up an honorary top job is a big question,” the news agency quoted a ‘veteran BCCI official’, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
There are no names mentioned in the report. Although the vice-president Rajeev Shukla’s name has been mentioned otherwise, the report said he’s being mentioned for the IPL chairman’s post, though nothing has been finalised yet. Another name in the running for that job is Mumbai Cricket Association secretary Sanjay Naik.
The incumbent league chairman, Arun Dhumal, has completed six years in office and will likely go for a mandatory cooling-off for three years. If Shukla, who belongs to the primary opposition political party of India, Congress, becomes the IPL chairman, the report said, Bihar Cricket Association president and ruling party BJP leader Rakesh Tiwary could be a contender for BCCI vice-presidency.
Meanwhile, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and joint secretary Rohan Gauns Desai and Prabhtej Bhatia are set to continue in their respective offices.
Other decisions that might be made in the BCCI AGM would be around the principal sponsor of the international teams. The BCCI has lost Dream11’s sponsorship recently and has put up an invitation for an expression of interest on social media channels.
As of now, the men’s team is expected to be without a shirt sponsor in the upcoming 2025 Asia Cup.
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