‘Sourav Ganguly will be a fool to become BCCI chief now, he has time for that’

Even though he is in a position to make a choice, whether Sourav Ganguly, Cricket Association of Bengal president, will take the plunge when the next BCCI elections are held, remains to be seen.

After the Supreme Court’s order on Monday, when the recommendations for administrative reforms are implemented, the East Zone will emerge as the most powerful lobby in the BCCI.

Sourav Ganguly is being widely tipped to become the next BCCI president after Anurag Thakur was sacked from the post by the Supreme Court.(Getty Images)

With the north-eastern states getting voting powers in the one-state, one-vote policy, the voting share of the region will almost double. The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has always been the most influential body in the region, which means, its president Sourav Ganguly will have greater say at the national level.

Given his credentials and the eligibility criteria set by the SC committee for BCCI officials, the former India captain is perfect for any role in the Board. Even though he is in a position to make a choice, whether Ganguly will take the plunge when the next Board elections are held, remains to be seen.

“If he decides to become president, his career in cricket administration will be over by 2020. After serving as president, he can become secretary but can he take up other posts? He will be a fool to straightaway become president,” said a BCCI expert, analysing the changed scenario after the SC verdict.

“He would be happy to take it step by step, serve as CAB president, serve two terms in the BCCI is different capacities before going for the top post,” he added.

However, in the amendment passed by the Supreme Court, an administrator can serve a total of nine years and not a separate nine-year term in BCCI and state associations. It will force Ganguly to spend the rest of his administrative career in the BCCI than the CAB.

NO FAMILIAR FACES

The latest amendment will be harder on current administrators, and means that a new set of administrators will take over at the state and Board level.

Most of the state associations were planning meetings to deliberate on member resignations, but a source in the Lodha panel confirmed that those who don’t meet the norms stand disqualified.

After the action against Anurag Thakur and Ajay Shirke, cricket administrators are resigned to their fate. Asked about whether they have plans for a meeting, the West Zone member remarked: “Who will call the meeting?”

All eyes in the BCCI were on joint honorary secretary Amitabh Choudhary after the lack of clarity over the five vice-presidents over seniority, but the Jharkhand Cricket Association president too has served his tenure in his state association.

It remains to be seen who will have the power to submit the affidavit on behalf of the BCCI to the SC on agreeing to implement the administrative reforms. “On whose behalf will they submit the affidavit? First the members have to agree on it,” said a state unit member.

LOOKING UP TO SRINIVASAN

The disqualified members are now looking up to N Srinivasan as their last hope, even though he is in the spot being over 70. “We may meet amongst ourselves, but nothing has been decided yet,” said an official.

A Tamil Nadu Cricket Association member said: “We will have an executive committee meeting to discuss the judgment and according to its outcome call for an AGM or SGM.”

One line of thought is to get the state units to file a slew of review and curative petitions against the Supreme Court orders. The thinking is that these petitions will be heard by a different bench as Chief Justice TS Thakur retired on Tuesday. They are hoping the new CJI doesn’t feel that cricket is important enough for the highest court.