BCCI elections on Oct. 18, all eyes on president’s post

Will Ganguly move to ICC and Shah take over as head?

Elections in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will be held in Mumbai on October 18. The recent Supreme Court verdict, which allowed administrators to be in the office for two consecutive three-year terms and members of Parliament to contest, has made many current office-bearer eligible.

BCCI president and former cricketer Sourav Ganguly during a promotional event in Kolkata, (Hindustan Times)

Hours before the notice for the BCCI AGM was sent out to the 38 state units on Thursday ‒ elections headline the agenda ‒ president Sourav Ganguly wrote them a letter. He outlined the upcoming domestic and international season, mentioned plans to launch the women’s IPL early next year and iterated that the next IPL would revert to a home-and-away competition.

Ganguly’s chances of continuing are not bright at the moment and some in the board interpreted his letter to be a thank you note. Ganguly dismissed such speculation and said the letter was “normal pre-season good wishes.”

There is also the possibility of the former India captain running for the International Cricket Council (ICC) chair. “ICC chairmanship is not in my hands,” Ganguly was quoted as saying in Kolkata on Thursday.

Ganguly would require BCCI’s support to win in the 16-member ICC board. That would also mean current chairman Greg Barclay dropping out. Barclay was backed by BCCI in the last elections.

It appears certain that secretary Jay Shah will hold a crucial post in the board. Will he replace Ganguly as president? It’s something Shah has not been letting on. “There are no signs of elections taking place and all the crucial posts could again be filled unanimously,” said a senior board member.

Two other positions of importance in BCCI are that of the treasurer and the IPL Governing Council chairman. Treasurer Arun Dhumal could again get a key post and vice-president Rajiv Shukla may be re-elected. The AGM will also decide on BCCI’s representative at ICC meetings.

The list of state representatives who will vote at the AGM will soon be out. Ganguly will be at the AGM representing the Cricket Association of Bengal. The BCCI AGM will also provide an update on the vexed taxation issue for ICC events in India, India’s Future Tour’s Programme and share details on the media rights that will hit the market in 2023.

Women’s IPL in 2023

In his letter, Ganguly wrote that BCCI was working to host the inaugural edition of the much-anticipated women’s IPL “early next year.” With the women’s T20 World Cup ending in February, March is being seen as a probable start date.

“We are glad to introduce a girls U15 One Day tournament from this season. This new tournament will create a pathway for our young girls to play at the national and international level,” he said.

“The next season of men’s IPL will also go back to the home and away format with all ten teams playing their home matches at their designated venues,” he said.