Shashank Manohar Quits as BCCI President

Shashank Manohar has resigned as the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. He took over the position following the death of Jagmohan Dalmiya in September 2015.

Manohar, 59 who worked as a senior lawyer, was BCCI president from 2008-2011 and was replaced by N. Srinivasan

In addition to resigning as president of the BCCI, Manohar also stepped down as the BCCI representative in the ICC.

In a letter addressed to Anurag Thakur, the secretary of the BCCI, Manohar said, "I hereby tender my resignation with immediate effect from the post of President of Board of Control for Cricket in India. I also resign with immediate effect as the representative of BCCI on the International Cricket Council, as also the Asian Cricket Council on which I was nominated by the General Body of BCCI. I thank all my colleagues and the staff for their support and cooperation during my tenure. I wish all of you all the very best in taking the cause of Cricket to greater heights."

Manohar's exit means that this is the shortest-ever tenure by a BCCI president. There were speculations that Manohar could resign as the president of the BCCI in order to contest for the post of independent chairman of the International Cricket Council.

According to the ICC rules, the chairman should be of independent nature and can't act in dual role keeping his position as his country's cricketing chief.

The role of office-bearers in the BCCI is increasingly becoming redundant as the Supreme Court is weighing a series of proposals that is aimed at changing the governance style of the Board.

The Justice RM Lodha committee has suggested to the Supreme Court how the BCCI should be run with greater transparency since the board is discharging a public function.

Meanwhile, the BCCI, acting on Justice Lodha's proposals, has already appointed its first-ever CEO.  The Supreme Court is also backing a one-state-one-unit policy that could relegate several full members of one state into associate members.

Manohar is the president of the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA), one of the three full members in the state of Maharashtra.

A top BCCI administrator told PTI: "We all had an idea that Shashank will be quitting BCCI post. But let's not get into a debate as to whether he has dumped a sinking ship or not. Whether it has been prudent on his part to quit when BCCI is going through tough times is a matter of conjecture."

Anurag Thakur in the running for BCCI top post?

According to reliable sources, BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur is being tipped to take over the hot seat. IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla is also in the running along with Maharashtra CA president and business magnet Ajay Shirke.

As per BCCI rules, a Special General Meeting (SGM) has to be convened within 15 days, apprising the members of the current situation. It is the prerogative of secretary Thakur to call such a meeting.

(With PTI inputs)