As the BCCI AGM slated for September 27 in Mumbai draws closer, hectic parleys and lobbying for various positions in the world's richest cricket body are hotting up. It is, however, unlikely that any of the office-bearers' posts will be contested for. There will be no election - only selection - at the BCCI's annual 'family gathering'.
As outgoing president Sharad Pawar passes on the baton to Shashank Manohar, expect no turbulence, for it no longer pays to be a rebel in the BCCI. Jagmohan Dalmiya may be back in the CAB but most of his allies have either switched over to the greener side of the pasture or have been so marginalized in their respective associations that they are in no position to offer any worthwhile resistance to the ruling group, which enjoys a brute majority in the 30-member house.
Four years ago Dalmiya enjoyed the unflinching support from the Kerala, Andhra, Karnataka, Himachal, Orissa, Assam, Jharkhand, Tripura, Gujarat and the Haryana state associations. With questions being raised over PILCOM accounts, his support base has dwindled to four (including the CAB and the National Cricket Club).
It's therefore as clear as daylight that barring Tripura's Arindam Ganguly as vice-president, East Zone will go unrepresented in the new Team BCCI.
Don't rule out court cases, though, for BCCI AGMs are somehow incomplete without legal wrangles. However, such ploys have limited utility and could be minor deterrents to what promises to be a smooth transition.
The challenge before president-elect Manohar is to strike the right balance in his team of officials who will preside over Indian cricket for the next three years. The straight-talking lawyer from Nagpur, who is vastly experienced in BCCI politics, will have Tamil Nadu's heavyweight N Srinivasan as his secretary. The treasurer's post should be a shoo-in for outgoing joint-secretary Mohinder Pandove.
Manohar is spoilt for choices for the joint-secretary's post. MP Cricket Association secretary and Central Zone selector Sanjay Jagdale is one of the three names doing the rounds. Jagdale has completed his term on the selection panel, but he has competition from Goa's Chetan Desai, while Himachal's Anurag Thakur is a dark horse.
The biggest challenge before Manohar would be to accommodate outgoing secretary Niranjan Shah in his cabinet. Given Shah's seniority and stature in the BCCI, it will have to be something significant. The ruling group is playing its cards very close to the chest as they don't want any embarrassment on the floor of the house. They plan to hold a brainstorming session in the evening on September 25.
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