Shashank Manohar, Nagpur based lawyer and cricket administrator recently tendered his resignation from the much coveted post as the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and as the Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC). According to some views, Shashank Manohar has done this because the ICC will soon be electing a new Chairman and because the ICC plans to revert to its earlier rule of not permitting the Chairman to hold a post in their home board. However, Manohar says that it is his conscience that made him take this step.
Why Shashank Manohar says he resigned
Shashank Manohar is largely thought of as being clean and non-corruptible and is described by many as the best BCCI chief ever. He has indicated that he had never been keen to return for a second stint as BCCI president but felt compelled to step in because of the sudden death of Jagmohan Dalmiya and because he felt that he wanted to contribute to Indian cricket’s governing body.
He also gave other reasons for the resignation: he was not able to bring about the changes that he envisaged and also felt that some of the recommendations of the Lodha Panel are not in the interests of the BCCI. Since he is unable to do much in the “current scenario”, he said that his conscience no longer permitting him to continue. To explain why he also resigned from this post, he said that it would have been “unethical” for him to continue there.
What tShashank Manohar’s resignation means
Some commentators feel that this abrupt move by Shashank Manohar indicates his discomfort and unwillingness to submit to the scrutiny of the Supreme Court in the currently ongoing legal matters involving the BCCI before the apex court. It is thought that Manohar is opposed to the possible restructuring of the BBCI. It is also thought that if Shashank Manohar is elected as ICC chairman, he would be able to continue as chief for five years or until 2021; by which time the ongoing legal battles in the SC would have become irrelevant.
Many inside the BCCI have criticised the resignation saying Manohar has left his colleagues in the lurch at a time when it needed strong leadership and some have even indicated that this is a case of the individual jumping off a metaphorical burning deck. With the sort of power that the BCCI wields, the election of Manohar’s successor is now an issue.
Anurag Thakur, the current BCCI secretary, and Gokaraju Gangaraju BCCI vice president are top contenders right now. The next few days should see a lot of politicking, jostling, lobbying and behind the scenes manipulation… hardly anything new when it comes to the BCCI.
Author – Reena Daruwalla
