Published: Sep 10, 2016, 05:26 PM (IST)
Edited: Sep 10, 2016, 05:26 PM (IST)
International Cricket Council’s (ICC) chairman Shashank Manohar had given an open comment about Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) on Friday mentioning that he was unconnected with the board. BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke said the Nagpur-based lawyer had breached the BCCI’s trust by using the Board’s offices to make amendments in the ICC constitution before moving on to become its first independent chairman. Shirke and Manohar have been connected for a long time now through cricket administration and the Pune based industrialists mentioned Manohar was politically correct in saying that he is not connected with BCCI but he should not forget his roots. ALSO READ: Anurag Thakur: Shashank Manohar left BCCI like a sinking ship
Speaking to Times of India on Friday, Shirke said, “I don’t think it will be proper for him to forget that the amendments to the ICC constitution were made by him when he was the president of the BCCI, and as such with the complete trust and faith that BCCI placed in him. Those amendments (in ICC constitution) were possible only because of India’s support. In fact, the members of the BCCI were never taken into confidence when these changes were made in the ICC constitution.”
He added, “But he should not forget his roots and origins. Manohar’s family has a very long association of over three generations with Indian cricket administration. But if due to his posturing, the ICC wishes to give the BCCI a raw deal, let me assure you and the Indian public that the BCCI, led by its president, is more than capable of protecting its own interests. One need not have to remind him that when he has to look at all members equally, that does not by any stretch of imagination exclude doing justice to the other members at the cost of India.” ALSO READ: Anurag Thakur: Shashank Manohar left BCCI like a sinking ship
BCCI are yet fighting the case of IPL franchise Kochi Tuskers that Shirke blames it on Manohar. It was under Manohar’s first stint as president that the Tuskers were terminated, leading to an arbitration that has eventually burdened BCCI with a possible payout in excess of Rs 600 crore. For this he added, “As far as legal cases go, in every democratic institution, be it a sports body or even a government, the new regimen always inherits the past.”
The senior BCCI official also reacted to Manohar’s statement that the ICC is looking to fill the vacancies of its two important committees finance and commercial affairs and chief executives committee while pointing out that the governing body’s website has ‘TBC’ appearing in the website, “What is objectionable here is that the existing members of these committees are already meeting and taking decisions.”
