Shashank Manohar might be new BCCI president

Shashank Manohar might be new BCCI president: In a significant development to resolve the leadership logjam, former BCCI president Shashank Manohar has emerged as front-runner for the vacant position of India’s cricket chief, according to a report on CNN-IBN. This is a huge blow to N Srinivasan who is expecting a return to the BCCI president’s post after a tough time ridden with Supreme court cases and controversies.

Former board boss Sharad Pawar who was himself in the fray, and Arun Jaitley are believed to have arrived at a consensus over Manohar as the agreeable candidate, and an official announcement to that effect is expected within 48 hours.

The development comes after BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur and some other top officials belonging to Sharad Pawar faction had a meeting with Union Finance Minister Jaitley to find a consensus candidate for the President’s post following the death of Jagmohan Dalmiya.

One of the tallest administrators in the board’s history, Manohar has been hailed as the man who could lead Indian cricket out of the crisis it finds itself in. Manohar has been very vocal of a total clean-up of the IPL, and also asked for Srinivasan to step down after his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was arrested in the IPL betting and spot-fixing scam.

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, along with former BCCI president Shashank Manohar and former treasurer Ajay Shirke, met Jaitley at his residence on Thursday night and discussed the way forward to break the leadership stalemate. It is learnt that both Jaitley and Thakur requested Manohar and Shirke to convince Pawar to stay away from Srinivasan’s faction.

Manohar was pretty categorical on Friday when asked about any patch up with Srinivasan. “I am not aware of discussions between Pawar and Srinivasan. As far as I am concerned, I will not align with Srinivasan in any capacity , now or in future. I have always stood against Srinivasan and his way of functioning that has brought disrepute to BCCI since the beginning of IPL scandal and under no circumstances will I join hands with him.”

The fact that only six of their group members showed up at their Bengaluru conclave on Thursday is a clear indication that all is not well in the Srini camp. The equation is no better for the Pawar group either in a fractured BCCI where the BJP, the party which Thakur represents, can influence at least 7-8 votes.