Forced to Resign, Says Shashank Manohar; Is Anurag Thakur Next BCCI Boss?

Shashank Manohar's decision to quit as the president of Board of Control for Cricket in India has triggered a fresh round of power battle inside the cricket Board. Who will replace Manohar in the hotseat?

With the Supreme Court virtually certain to order age and tenure caps for BCCI office-bearers, chances of a younger president taking charge is gaining ground. BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, who is 41 and a BJP MP, is being seen as Manohar's successor.

Manohar's resignation has come at a wrong time for BCCI. After the death of Jagmohan Dalmiya, the Nagpur-based lawyer had taken over for a second stint as BCCI chief in October 2015 last year.

As BCCI president, Manohar brought significant transparency into the functioning of a BCCI traditionally perceived as an efficient but opaque body. Insiders say he was unhappy with the way the Supreme Court was on the verge of clipping the administrative powers of Board officials.

Unhappy as president of BCCI: Manohar

Manohar told Mid-day that he was not in a happy position as BCCI president. "I could not work in the present scenario. I don't want to name anyone, but can say I have been forced to resign," Manohar said.

"I don't want to say anything more except that I wanted to run the organisation (BCCI) on my terms and conditions. I didn't want my image be spoiled. I didn't wish to run the board with others' influence," Manohar said, perhaps hinting that several proposals made by the Lodha panel to Supreme Court were unacceptable to him.

Anurag Thakur, an ambitious man

Thakur always had ambitions to become BCCI chief after the Supreme Court stopped the controversial N. Srinivasan from contesting last year. However, Dalmiya emerged as a consensus candidate after the East Zone wanted a man from their region to become president.

It was felt Thakur had age on his side and was a man for the future. The Lodha panel recommendations seem to have come as a blessing for Thakur, who runs the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association.

In the new scheme of things, Thakur could become BCCI president. But he must be backed by East Zone, whose turn it is to propose and second the name of a candidate. IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla, who has also eyed the BCCI top post in the past, is a dark horse.

Cricket Association of Bengal president Sourav Ganguly, a relative rookie in BCCI politics, may become the Board secretary if Thakur becomes president and picks the former India captain till the end of his term (September 2017).

Matter of numbers

Shukla, a former senior vice-president of the BCCI, will surely sniff his chance. Ajay Shirke, a veteran in BCCI politics and the president of Maharashtra Cricket Association, is also seen as a Thakur rival.

Should there be an election, a simple majority (16 votes) in a 30-member house will be needed for a candidate to become BCCI president.

To set the ball rolling, Thakur now has to call a working committee meeting and set a date for the special general meeting that will elect Manohar's successor.