Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith wants Sourav Ganguly to be chairman of the International Cricket Council. But what does the former India captain and current president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India want? Ganguly is maintaining a guarded silence and awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision on a petition that would allow him and BCCI secretary Jay Shah to continue in their posts till 2025 by diluting their mandatory cooling-off periods. These periods are set to begin in July.
Ganguly, who became president last October, represents the BCCI at the meeting of the ICC board, whose chairman is Shashank Manohar. As a candidate, he will face a stiff challenge from England’s Colin Graves. The other likely candidates are former Singapore Cricket Association president Imran Khawaja and Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ehsan Mani.
Ganguly’s election as BCCI president was power packed. Backed by Home Minister Amit Shah, who himself has been president of Gujarat Cricket Association, Ganguly edged out another former India cricketer and veteran administrator Brijesh Patel. Shah’s son, Jay, was elected secretary and Ganguly has played a huge role in showing him the ropes in the BCCI.
Earlier, Ganguly had received West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s support to become Cricket Association of Bengal president after the demise of Jagmohan Dalmiya. So he has been walking a tightrope, handling pressures from various political corners. A move to the ICC would relieve him of these political pressures as well as take care of the cooling-off period.
THE WEEK has learnt that Manohar is backing Ganguly as his successor, but Ganguly’s candidature largely depends on who and what the BCCI wants. “We have not discussed this at all,” BCCI treasurer Arun Thakur Dhumal told THE WEEK. “First, let the ICC announce the election process and then we will discuss it in the board.” The ICC board, which met on May 28, deferred the announcement. When it met again on June 10, the focus was on debating the fate of the October’s ICC World T20 in Australia instead.
The BCCI wants a candidate who will pursue and preserve its interests in the ICC board room, having seen them diminished during Manohar’s time. Said a senior board member: “We will only put up a candidate if we have the backing of enough ICC members. The BCCI cannot afford to lose—it will be a loss of face for both the candidate and the BCCI.”
The ICC made changes to its constitution and structure in 2017. It stated that the chairperson, who must be a current or former director, shall be elected by the board of directors by a secret ballot, every two years. Notably, the board would also have one independent female director, a post currently held by former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi. The numbers game is no longer as simple as it was in the days of Jagmohan Dalmiya and N. Srinivasan.
“World cricket needs strong leadership in this time of crisis,” said Dhumal. The BCCI is avidly awaiting the details of the election process because as a senior member pointed out, “The board can make changes to the process if it wants.”
The election process was deferred in the May 28 meeting as Manohar was reportedly upset over email leaks ahead of the meeting—a spate of nasty email exchanges between the BCCI and the ICC over pending tax issues. The dispute is over tax liabilities during the 2016 World T20 in India, amounting to $23.7 million, which is pending before the ICC disputes resolution committee. Ganguly has managed to get an extension from the ICC till December to discuss the matter with the Indian government and revert.
In the leaked email, ICC officials have allegedly threatened to revoke India’s hosting rights of the 2021 ICC World T20 if the BCCI is unable to solve the tax issue. Many in the BCCI are suspicious of Manohar, accusing him of “deliberately delaying the election process as well as decision on postponement of the T20 World Cup”, but it is understood that the ICC will not take a decision in haste.
Another issue is that if this year’s World T20 is moved to 2021, then the one scheduled for India next year could in turn be moved to 2022. But India, which will be hosting the 2023 ODI World Cup, does not find it feasible to host two World Cup events so close to each other. It remains to be seen how Ganguly manages to work out a solution acceptable to all board members over this dilemma, and it will be a litmus test of his ability to lead world cricket in times of unprecedented crisis.
As for the election, it is learnt that the PCB was keen on backing Ganguly, despite relations between the boards hitting the nadir, until Ehsan Mani’s name came up. Mani is a strong candidate as he is a former ICC president and has been the PCB’s representative at the ICC in the past. Three or four ICC members have apparently asked him to fight the election. “He is keen, too, but it could also be that Mani’s name may be pushed to split votes especially in Asia and ensure Colin Graves gets an advantage,” said a source in Pakistan cricket.
Everything hinges on Ganguly being announced as a candidate. If that happens, he will be a strong favourite.