Hyderabad: Former India captain and batsman Sourav Ganguly is all set to be named as the new president of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after he filed his nomination for the top job on Monday in Mumbai.
Ganguly was the lone candidate applying for the job and is set to be elected unopposed as the president.
It should be noted that the President of the BCCI is the highest post at the Indian cricket body. Though the post is an honorary one, it is considered a highly prestigious post due to the popularity of the game in India and the financial clout of the organisation.
What is the role of the BCCI President?
According to the “powers and duties of office-bearers” in the BCCI’s Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulations, the president presides at the meetings of the general body and the apex council, and is one of the three persons who sign the audited annual accounts and other financial statements of the BCCI, which is the world’s richest cricket board.
Also, the BCCI president has to ensure the smooth running of the cricket board and make sure that the objects and purposes of the BCCI are fulfilled, which are as follow:
- To control and improve quality and standards of the game of Cricket in India, lay down policies, roadmaps, guidelines and make rules and regulations (and amend or alter them) in all matters relating to the game of Cricket, recognizing that the primary stakeholders are the players and Cricket fans in India, and that accountability, transparency and integrity of the Game are the core values.
- To provide for measures necessary for promotion and development of the game of Cricket, welfare and interest of Cricketers and elimination of unethical and unfair practices in the Game of cricket; and for that purpose, organize coaching schemes, establish coaching academies, hold tournaments, exhibition matches, Test Matches, ODIs, Twenty/20, and any other matches and take all other required steps.
- To strive for sportsmanship and professionalism in the game of Cricket and its governance and administration; inculcate principles of transparency and ethical standards in players, team officials, umpires and administrators; and to ban doping, age fraud, sexual harassment and all other forms of inequity and discrimination.
- To encourage the formation of State, Regional or other Cricket Associations and the organization of Inter-State and other Tournaments; to lay down norms for recognition which achieve uniformity in the structure, functioning and processes of the Member Associations.
- To arrange, control, regulate and if necessary, finance visits of Teams that are Members of the International Cricket Council and teams of other countries to India.
Interestingly, after Ganguly's name was finalized in an informal meeting of BCCI state units, he asserted that the welfare of the country's domestic players will be his foremost priority.
"My first priority will be to look after first-class cricketers. I had requested to the CoA and they have not listened. Ranji Trophy cricket will be the focus. To take care of cricketers' financial interest," he said after his name was finalized in an informal meeting of BCCI state units," Ganguly said.
