Shashank Manohar began his second innings as president on Sunday trying to diffuse tension and dilute acrimony within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
With the Justice R.M. Lodha committee gathering information from various stakeholders of the game so it can recommend reforms, Manohar made an emphatic statement that Board members should not fight among themselves. They must work in harmony to address the perception that something is awry with the BCCI.
The Nagpur-based lawyer, who served as BCCI president from 2008 to 2011, has been thrust into the top job again because of the unfortunate death of Jagmohan Dalmiya.
But one sensed relief among members after the SGM here on Sunday that the BCCI is finally in the hands of a man in control of himself, versed in the various aspects of the great game, firm in decision-making, intolerant of impropriety and a defender of the BCCI’s autonomy.
In an effort to bring everyone together, Manohar went to the extent of nudging past president N. Srinivasan into withdrawing the perjury-related case in the Supreme Court against BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur. He spoke to TNCA representative P.S. Raman and impressed upon him the need to not escalate bad blood between members through court battles.
He then urged vice-president T.C. Mathew and treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary to do the same as they had given supporting affidavits to Srinivasan.
The former BCCI president had alleged that Thakur had misled the Supreme Court on a number of issues while seeking, through a petition, clarity on Srinivasan’s conflict of interest status.
Sources told The Hindu that senior administrators, including former president Sharad Pawar, did not agree with Dalmiya’s decision to approach the Supreme Court to ascertain if Srinivasan can be allowed to attend Board meetings.
According to a source, a number of BCCI officials were unhappy with the way the petition was drafted and were even convinced that Srinivasan was probably right in filing an office of perjury case against Thakur and did not fault the two BCCI office-bearers who had filed supporting affidavits.
This was a point Srinivasan conveyed to Pawar during their meeting in Nagpur.
Quite clear in his mind that court cases will not take him and the BCCI anywhere and only add to the Rs. 65 crore spent on legal expenses in the last two years, Manohar went into overdrive to bring a halt to this particular court case on Monday itself.
He has succeeded, although the BCCI stated its position with regard to Srinivasan’s conflict of interest status before withdrawing the application filed by Thakur.
“We gave word to them (BCCI) and withdrew the applications,” said a senior TNCA member, respected within the BCCI. “We don’t know why the BCCI proceeded with the hearing before withdrawing its application.
“I don’t think they have spoken to each other, but Srinivasan has sent a mail congratulating Shashank on his election as BCCI president and also the current position in ICC.”
A source close to these developments said that the BCCI had assured the TNCA representative at the SGM that it would not go to the extent of hearing the conflict of interest case.
The BCCI is now free to reconvene the Working Committee, adjourned sine die at Kolkata on August 28, at short notice, adopt the secretary and treasurer’s reports and all committees, and serve notice of the Annual General Meeting.
