BCCI Banks on Youth Administrators to Regain Trust of Fans
The Indian Cricket Board wants to regain the trust of its fans. And to do so Shashank Manohar announced a slew of reforms on Sunday. Some of the men in suits who are expected to ring in the changes and make BCCI a transparent body have replaced the patriarchs. A brand of young administrators are now promising to bring back fans to the turnstiles of the game who had turned their backs following the IPL fixing and betting scandal in 2013.
Anurag Thakur, the Secretary of the BCCI, Anirudh Chaudhary, the President of Haryana Cricket Association, Sourav Ganguly, President-Elect of Cricket Association of Bengal, Abhishek Dalmiya, Joint Secretary-Elect of Cricket Association of Bengal, Jyotiraditya Scindia, the President of Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association, Jay Shah the Joint Secretary of Gujarat Cricket Association are just some of the faces that are deciding the future of Indian cricket. What is unique about this bunch is their age. Eight of the twenty nine Associations of the BCCI are represented by men between the age group of forty to forty five. The newest one on the block is Sourav Ganguly.
BCCI president Shashank Manohar says, "As far as the young faces are concerned, it is always better because the new generation has new ideas. The older generation has fixed notions and work accordingly. And development can take place only when new generation comes."
A lot of hope is pinned on former Indian captain, Sourav Ganguly. Dada carries the image of a man with integrity and is expected to take over as president of Cricket Association of Bengal soon. While there are talks of encouraging retired cricketers to become administrators, Shashank Manohar is clear that his criterion is, competence.
Manohar says, "I would encourage a good administrator, irrespective of the fact he is a player or not."
© AFP
So BCCI's look-youth policy is not restricted to its players any more. The Board is currently run by administrators, 25 % of whom are in their forties. With a few in the previous generation on their way out, inducting young blood and grooming them is on Manohar's agendas.
And it is not just Manohar, even IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla feels that BCCI's brand image is enhanced by these young men, "I think it is good, coincidentally it has happened. But I think that there has to be a combination of experience and young blood."
It is not just to enhance the image of the Board that the powers that be in the BCCI want to encourage young administrators, but Shashank Manohar realises the need of leaving the Indian Board in able hands when his term ends in 2017. (Manohar Promises Corruption-Free Indian Cricket)