Surprise choice Mithun Manhas as BCCI President, but not a bad one
This one turned out to be a ‘doosra,’ naming Mithun Manhas as the Presidential candidate for the BCCI elections next week. On Sunday, the man who has scored over 9,000 runs in domestic cricket, stayed with Delhi in first class cricket, and then moved to Jammu and Kashmir was more than happy to show up in Mumbai and file his nomination papers. Welcome, Mithun Manhas, who can well be addressed as President-elect of the richest cricket body in the world.
For sure, naming Mithun Manhas as BCCI was well-planned. That those who follow sport in India, notably cricket, got it all wrong, is proof of how surprises never cease. Secondly, the more one says separate sports and politics, the more intensely the two are inter-woven. After all, there was a meeting held at the residence of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and then Manhas was named as President choice.
Lest one forget, Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have themselves served as President of the Gujarat Cricket Association in the past. So, if a decision is being made on having a President of the BCCI who has done something for the sport of cricket, Manhas fits the bill. There is dirt being hurled at the former Delhi Ranji Trophy player on caustic social media. Yet, he has been described as street-smart by many former cricketers in conversations with this writer in the last 12 hours.
No one is saying he is a bad choice just because he has not played international cricket. Just to jog the readers’ memory, the last two Presidents of the BCCI – Roger Binny and Sourav Ganguly – had played international cricket at the highest level. Did we hear any pearls of wisdom from them? The answer is an emphatic ‘no.
In private circles, many former cricketers have said Dada Ganguly was below par as BCCI President. How he endorsed Dream 11 when he was BCCI President is baffling. Now, it is well-known, Dream 11 and more such apps which have caused grief, literally, have been banned by the Central Government. Reasons for it are well-known, as a lot of folks had lost money, even been driven to extreme decisions in life, or taking one’s own life. All this is chronicled, which is why Dream 11 is over.
For those who ‘refused’ to become BCCI President, don’t trust the grapevine. After all, Sachin Tendulkar had made it clear, he was never hankering for the post and all speculation on social media was bilge. A few more names were doing the rounds, of prominent former players who could become the BCCI President. But then, who calls the shots is known very well. It is not like the old days, when there was a rotation policy and there was a President from one of the ‘zones.’
Mithun Manhas the active cricketer and Mithun Manhas the administrator of Jammu and Kashmir cricket are two different faces. He gets this job because of what he has done up North, which has resulted in ostensibly good results from that region and how each state and corner of India is important for India. Just as the new cricketers in India do not necessarily come from big cities, for a BCCI President to be chosen from J and K is welcome.
How Manhas will perform is not something which can be discussed now, since the role played by a BCCI President is very limited. Most major decisions, like engaging or not engaging with Pakistan, a terror state, will be taken at the highest level. It is also very clear, the BCCI does not want someone who is already raking in big bucks by endorsing big brands or being a brand ambassador.
So, give Mithun Manhas a chance, for, he is the chosen one. Maybe., this is justice of sorts for him, as he did not get a chance to represent India. Definitely, he is a more contemporary cricketer, has been with IPL teams in Delhi and Gujarat, first as a player and then coach. That is more than enough to show as credentials.
