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Mithun Manhas all set to become the first Jammu and Kashmir-born BCCI president after dramatic board discussions.
Former Delhi all-rounder Mithun Manhas is all set to become the first Jammu and Kashmir-born Indian cricketer to become BCCI president, with a Times of India report stating that the board members finalised him as the next office-holder after intense midnight discussions.
Manhas flew to Mumbai on Sunday, September 21 and filed his nomination for the post of BCCI president. He is all set to be elected unopposed at the board’s AGM after a dramatic turn of events at a high-profile meeting in Delhi on Saturday, September 20.
The decision comes amidst a push to have a player in the top-most position in the BCCI, with technicalities being ignored to ensure a smooth process. Manhas will be the first uncapped cricketer ever to become the board president.
BCCI has maintained the requirement to have a player in charge of the board after the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha committee’s recommendations were included in the board’s constitution six years ago.
According to the report, BCCI was in a fix as there was no option available. The other eligible players, by virtue of attending the upcoming AGM, were former India captain Sourav Ganguly, former left-arm spinner Raghuram Bhat and Harbhajan Singh.
While Bhat is all set to become the treasurer, the consensus on Manhas came after intense discussion. Unlike the former, Manhas wasn’t an elected office-bearer at the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association.
Manhas functioned as a director after BCCI formed an ad-hoc committee to run cricket affairs in the state, after the High Court decided to disband the incumbent office bearers five years ago.
Manhas has represented the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association at previous BCCI AGMs. According to the report, board secretary Devajit Saikia, who is tipped to continue in his role as well, played a very influential role in shortlisting the candidates.
Saikia’s growth as an influential figure in the BCCI has been confirmed by the ensuing series of developments.
“It wasn’t a straightforward decision for the forces in the BCCI. All the technicalities were discussed around Manhas. Legal opinion was taken in this regard. The meeting went on until almost midnight,” a BCCI source told The Times of India.
The report says that former Indian cricketers Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh were fond of Manhas’ cricketing intelligence. He scored 9714 runs in 157 first-class games at an average of 45.82 with 27 hundreds to his name.
According to the report, the new set of office-bearers led by Manhas will continue in their posts even when the government’s sports bill comes into effect in the next few months.
The report adds that all federations will have to hold fresh elections once the bill is implemented but BCCI isn’t expected to follow the same.
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