Dubai: The blueprint for former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly serving a full term as the president of Indian cricket board is likely be drawn up at the first Annual General Meeting (AGM) under the new office-bearers in Mumbai on December 1. A six-point agenda for amendment in the newly drafted Constitution of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which includes the contentious ‘cooling off’ period of board officials, will be taken up for discussion.
When Ganguly took up the top job last month, it was deemed to be for a period of 10 months only following which he has to go on the mandatory ‘cooling off’ period of three years as he would be completing a cumulative period of six years by then — first with his state body Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) and then BCCI.
However, the amendment to be proposed before the general body is that the cooling off period of the President and Secretary should start only after they have served a maximum of two terms (six years) with the board.
“The cooling off period applied finally in the BCCI Rules takes into account whether a person has held a post for six years in both the member association and the BCCI. This restriction is proving to be a big blow to selecting talented and experienced hands,” the argument for amendment is quoted as saying in Indian media.
The proposed rule reads: “A President or Secretary, who has served in such position for two consecutive terms in the BCCI, shall not be eligible to contest any further election without completing a cooling-off period of three years.”
If the Supreme Court agrees to the proposed amendments in the Constitution, then both Ganguly and Jay Shah, son of the Federal Home Minister Amit Shah, who is believed to have played a key role in the last elections, can serve out the first term of three years and a maximum of two terms.
In another significant move, the BCCI members will propose to have a re-assessment at the disqualification of members from representing the board at the ICC on grounds like being over 70 years of age and already served both the state bodies and BCCI.
The move is ostensibly to seek a re-entry for N. Srinivasan, the former strongman of BCCI and a former ICC chairman, to represent the board at the world governing body meetings. “Disqualifications are too wide. If persons without sufficient experience are made to represent India’s interests in the ICC, there will be no recognition for India’s contribution to cricket at the international stage,” the proposal says.
“In order to protect the interests of the BCCI, which are being steadily eroded at ICC, people with the experience of negotiation and personal interaction with other member nations should be made the representatives. Also, there is no reason to impose restrictions on members of the IPL Governing Council, which is only a committee of the BCCI.”
— With inputs from IANS