Former Indian cricketer Roger Binny succeeds Sourav Ganguly as BCCI President
Roger Binny, former Indian cricketer and member of the 1983 World Cup-winning team, was on Tuesday named the 36th President of the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) at their AGM in Mumbai.
FollowRoger Binny, former Indian cricketer and member of the 1983 World Cup-winning team, was on Tuesday named the 36th President of the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) at their AGM in Mumbai.
Binny replaced former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly as the BCCI chief with the latter set to return to his home state association CAB as the president for a second term. The 67-year-old former cricketer was the only candidate to have filed nomination for the BCCI president's post and will now vacate the post of Karnataka State Cricket Association President.
One of the key players in India's historic World Cup victory in 1983 was Binny, who recorded the most wickets in that year's premier event (18) in just eight games.
Binny had previously participated in senior selection committee meetings as a member when Sandeep Patil served as chairman. He would excuse himself from the discussion whenever his son Stuart Binny's name was considered for inclusion in the Indian team.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday expressed shock over Sourav Ganguly's removal as BCCI President and sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention so that he is allowed to contest the elections for International Cricket Council head. The BJP, however, asked her to appoint Ganguly as the state's brand ambassador replacing Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan, if she is so concerned with the former Indian cricket captain's faith.
Banerjee, while talking to reporters at the Kolkata airport before leaving for a trip to the northern part of the state, said she was shocked that Ganguly was deprived of a second term as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president.
"Sourav Ganguly is not only the pride of Bengal but also of the entire nation. He has led the cricket team and BCCI with the utmost dedication and responsibility. He has proved himself to be an able administrator, and I am shocked by his removal from the BCCI president's post," she said.
The Supreme Court had given a three-year extension to the BCCI president Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah, the Trinamool Congress supremo said. "But for reasons unknown, Jay Shah is still continuing as the BCCI secretary while Sourav Ganguly has been removed from the position. We don't have any problem with Jay Shah continuing at the BCCI. Our grievance is why Sourav Ganguly was let go from the BCCI. We want to know on whose orders it was done. We believe that there's been an injustice done to Ganguly," she said.Â
Also read:Â BCCI AGM: Binny to be elected 36th president but questions remain on ICC chairmanship
Banerjee said that the only compensation for the move should be that Ganguly is allowed to contest the ICC Chairman's elections. "There's precedence for that. Both Jagmohan Dalmiya and Sharad Pawar went on to lead ICC after the completion of their tenure at the BCCI. This is my humble request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow Sourav to run for the ICC post," she said.
She urged the Centre to consider this matter in light of the future of sports in the country. "Sourav is not affiliated with any political party. My request to the Centre is that this matter should not be treated politically or vindictively. I, once again, request the government not to act vindictively and take the decision based on the betterment of cricket and sports," Banerjee said.Â
Rejecting Banerjee's claim, Leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, said the CM is trying to politicise the issue and flare up Bengali sentiment around Sourav Ganguly. "There is no politics in it, but she is trying to find one by shedding crocodile tears. If she is so concerned about Sourav Ganguly, why didn't she appoint him as the brand ambassador (of West Bengal) instead of Shah Rukh Khan? She should immediately appoint him as the brand ambassador," Adhikari told a press conference in Kolkata.
Khan was appointed as the brand ambassador of West Bengal in 2012, a year after the TMC came to power in the state.
(With inputs from PTI)
