Roger Binny, India’s 1983 World Cup hero, is set to succeed Sourav Ganguly as BCCI president, while Rajiv Shukla will remain vice-president, reports Times Of India. While it is not yet clear, Jay Shah, who was also heavily tipped to be the new president, is expected to remain as BCCI secretary.
Binny and the other finalised candidates for office-bearer positions will file nominations on Tuesday. On Tuesday and Wednesday, candidates can file their nominations. The BCCI election, which is now merely a formality, will be held on October 18.
“Binny will be the new president of the BCCI. Rajivji (Rajiv Shukla) will stay on as the VP,”
a reliable source told TOI late on Monday night, ahead of a formal meeting of the state representatives on Tuesday.
Binny’s arrival for this meeting more or less confirmed earlier reports that he was in the race for the president’s post. Binny, who has previously served as a national selector, sparked speculation that he was a surprise candidate for the coveted position when his name appeared on the BCCI’s Draft Electoral Rolls for the elections and the Annual General Meeting as a representative of the Karnataka State Cricket Association.
KSCA was previously represented at the Board AGM by their secretary, Santosh Menon. Elections will be held on October 18. The nominations will be scrutinised on October 13, and candidates may withdraw their nominations no later than October 14.
Shah has been nominated to represent Gujarat Cricket Association in the AGM, while Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association treasurer Arun Dhumal has been nominated to represent the state body. Dhumal is now in line to succeed Brijesh Patel as chairman of the Indian Premier League Governing Council.
Former BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary will represent Haryana, while current BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla will represent the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association. Adwait Manohar, the son of ex-ICC chairman Shashank Manohar, will represent the Vidarbha Cricket Association, while Ashish Shelar has been nominated to represent the Mumbai Cricket Association.
Binny represented India from 1979 to 1987, wherein he played in 27 Tests and bagged 47 wickets and 72 One-Day Internationals from which he scalped 77 wickets. Of course, his crowning achievement was the 1983 World Cup, when he took 18 wickets in 8 games at an average of 18.66 (best bowling 4-29) to become the tournament’s highest wicket-taker and play a key role in India’s stunning victory.
