Friday, September 16, 2011

IPL to get new chairman at BCCI AGM

The BCCI is set to elect a new chairman for the cash-rich Indian Premier League at its 82nd Annual General Meeting scheduled here on September 19.

The need to elect a new person to head the IPL arose after incumbent Chirayu Amin expressed his desire to step down from the post.

"Chirayu Amin wants to step down from the chairmanship of IPL because of his commitments. So a new chairman would have to be elected at the AGM. This is one of the items listed on the agenda of the meeting," sources said.

Amin took over the reins when the IPL was rocked by the Lalit Modi fracas that saw the then prime mover of the league being sacked at the end of the third season in 2010.

The indications are that Rajiv Shukla, currently vice president from the Central Zone, would become the new chief of this important sub-committee of the BCCI.

Sources, however, said that the appointment of a CEO, as speculated in the media, to run the Board's affairs is not a listed item on the agenda of the meeting which would pass the annual accounts and annual report of the secretary.

President-elect N Srinivasan, who would complete his term as the Secretary of the Board, is poised to take over as the new chief from incumbent Shashank Manohar who would step down after the completion of his term at the helm.

The appointment of the new selection committees including the senior panel, is also one of the important items on the agenda of the meeting along with the election of various office bearers.

Among the senior panel members, North Zone's Yashpal Sharma has completed his tenure and would be replaced but it is still not clear whether there would be other changes, including that of the Chairman -- a post currently occupied by Krishnamachari Srikkanth.

The selectors were under fire from various quarters outside the Board for the poor display of the Indian team in England so soon after winning the coveted World Cup on April 2.

The team was whitewashed 0-4 in the Test rubber, clearly outplayed in all departments and beset by a spate of injuries to several key players, to lose its top ranking in the most important format of the game.

Later it was beaten in the ODI series too by hosts England who are not among the top teams in the 50-over format for quite some time.

There are also clear indications Orissa Cricket Association Chief, Ranjib Biswal could become the new secretary as he, apparently, has the backing of both Manohar and Srinivasan.

Former Joint Secretary and incumbent treasurer M P Pandove's name is also doing the rounds.

But it remains to be seen whether he has sufficient support among the members as he is the secretary of the Punjab Cricket Association headed by I S Bindra who is close to the Board's persona non grata, Modi.

Things would become clear on September 18 evening when the nominations for the various posts are filed and the withdrawals too, if necessary, are gone through on the same day.

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