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Former BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhary passes away after suffering heart attack

Amitabh Choudhary was the former secretary of the BCCI and the president of the JSCA. He suffered a heart attack on Tuesday morning, resulting in his death. He was aged 58 and was also a retired senior IPS officer.

Former BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhary passes away after suffering heart attack, social media grieves-ayh
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Ranchi, First Published Aug 16, 2022, 12:31 PM IST

Former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) acting secretary and Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) president Amitabh Choudhary passed away due to a heart attack he suffered on Tuesday morning. He happened to be 58. He was also a retired senior IPS officer who had risen to the rank of IGP with the Jharkhand Police. A former top co, he also happened to be the chairman of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC).

"Deeply saddened by the news of sudden passing away of former JPSC chairman Shri Amitabh Chaudhary. Former IPS officer Amitabh ji played a significant role in the state's cricket development. May his soul rest in peace. Condolences and strength to his family in this hour of grief," Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren tweeted.

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Chaudhary, an IIT Kharagpur alumnus, played an instrumental role in getting the First-Class (FC) status for Jharkhand cricket after BCCI dispersed the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) during late Jagmohan Dalmiya's tenure in early 2000. Once Jharkhand attained the official FC status, Mahendra Singh Dhoni moved from Bihar and played for the state till the very end of his career.

Chaudhary also played a significant role in building one of the best cricket stadiums in Ranchi, besides helping bring international cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL) to the industrial town. He had also served as the BCCI joint secretary and was an administrative manager with Team India on several occasions.

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However, Chaudhary's most challenging undertaking was the 2005 tour of Zimbabwe, where the much-publicised fall-out transpired between former skipper Sourav Ganguly and then-head coach Greg Chappell. During that infamous tour, Chappell shot the e-mail to then-BCCI president Sharad Pawar, suggesting the exclusion of Ganguly and other senior players.

Chaudhary's acting secretaryship term overlapped with Indian cricket's darkest administrative period when the Committee of Administrators (CoA) was in charge. He wasn't allowed to function by the COA, which often led to many animosities. Regardless, he was a superb raconteur and often, on the sidelines of various BCCI gatherings, would occupy his audience with tales that would have all in splits.

(With inputs from PTI)

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