MUMBAI (India): Former India captain Sourav Ganguly took over as Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) 39th president after a formal General Body Meeting here on Wednesday.
But all eyes were on the former BCCI head Narayanaswami Srinivasan as he entered the BCCI headquarters soon after Ganguly took charge.
Srinivasan was ordered by the Supreme Court on March, 2014, to step down after the infamous 2013 Indian Premier League spot-fixing scandal.
Surprisingly, the 74-year-old was received by almost all the staff members at BCCI which he ruled as treasurer, secretary and then as president.
It was a mere coincidence that he crossed SC-appointed Committee of Administrators chief Vinod Rai on the second floor at the BCCI headquarter.
“You destroyed BCCI,” Srinivasan told Rai while he shook hands with the former IAS officer.
One can well understand Srinivasan’s frustration as he rebuked Rai.
Srinivasan blames COA for financial loss
The former International Cricket Council (ICC) president has been blaming COA chief for causing huge financial loss to BCCI.
It must be mentioned here that it was during Srinivasan’s tenure as ICC president that the “Big Three” proposal — India, Australia and England –was accepted by the world cricket body.
As per the formula agreed upon then nearly 80 per cent of the total revenue was to be distributed amongst these three nations.
BCCI was to pocket 22 per cent share from this agreement, but after Shashank Manohar took over as ICC chairman, he trashed the proposal on grounds of “alienating the rest of the cricketing world”.
Khelupdates.com has reliably learnt that BCCI members discussed on the issue during an informal get together here on Wednesday.
“Why should India not have a lion’s share in the ICC kitty when we generate nearly 80 per cent of the total revenue,” Srinivasan told one of the members.
BCCI to get 372 million from ICC
Srinivasan looked determined to take his bête noire head on if given a mandate by Ganguly & Co to represent India at ICC.
“I got India its due recognition in the committee of nations. But things have been frittered away by subsequent events and people. You can’t take away anything from India. One has to recognise that India is sustaining international cricket. We will eventually get our due,” Srinivasan explained to the new members.
The newly-elected members also want India’s interests to be revisited once again in the world body.
Srinivasan is tipped to be BCCI’s next representative at the ICC provided no legal hassles are raised due to SC’s cap of 70-year age to hold office.
Ganguly looks to be on the same page when it comes to dealing with the ICC.
“BCCI is to get 372 million from the ICC in the five-year cycle. It’s a lot heavy at the back end because there are two World Cups — T20 World Cup in Australia and Champions Trophy in India. We want to make sure that we get our due. We’ll work with the ICC and take this forward,” who, however, refused to name BCCI’s choice of representative at the international body.
I agree that India interest were compromised by shashank manohar. Even otherwise in his tenure India no longer enjoyed the prominence it was enjoying earlier