File image of new BCCI President Roger Binny (Image Source: ANI)
Former India cricketer Roger Binny has been appointed the next President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on October 18, ANI reported. Binny takes over from Sourav Ganguly.
The news comes while the BCCI’s 36th Annual General Meeting (AGM) is underway in Mumbai. BCCI Secretary Jay Shah, President Sourav Ganguly, Vice-President Rajiv Shukla (who is also the former Indian Premier League Chairman), Treasurer Arun Singh Dhumal and Binny are in attendance, ANI added.
There has long been speculation that Binny was set to take over the post from Ganguly, also a former team India player and captain. He had filed his nomination for the post on October 11 and since he was the sole candidate, was expected to take the spot unopposed.
“Roger is one of the finest human beings and a thorough gentleman, who has graced the field for India. Plus he is also a World Cup hero and has a squeaky clean image. He had resigned from the selection committee after Lodha committee pointed out conflict of interest,” a BCCI source told PTI.
Ganguly meanwhile is set to return to his home state association CAB as the president for a second term.
Who is Roger Binny?
Roger Michael Humphrey Binny, 67 is a member of India’s World Cup winning 1983 cricket team. The medium pacer was one of the architects of India’s historic World Cup triumph in 1983. In eight games, he took 18 wickets, the highest in that edition of the prestigious tournament.
He was also instrumental in India’s victory at the 1985 World Series Cricket Championship in Australia. He took 17 wickets in the tournament.
He has played 27 Tests and 72 ODIs for India, and is also the first Anglo-Indian of Scottish origin to play cricket for India.
Appointed in 2012, Binny has also served as member of senior selection committee of the BCCI in the past when Sandeep Patil was the chairman. In 2015, his son Stuart Binny’s selection in the World Cup squad created a bit of a controversy with allegations of favouritism. However, the BCCI clarified that Binny recused himself from the meeting when his son’s name came up for discussion.
Binny is currently serving as an Office Bearer at the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and was named as the association’s representative at the BCCI AGM instead of Secretary Santosh Menon. He will have to relinquish this post on officially accepting the BCCI position.
Notably, Binny joins a slim list of former cricketers to helm the institution. In its 94-year history, the BCCI has had only two other Test players as full-time Presidents; Binny’s immediate predecessor Sourav Ganguly, and the Maharajkumar of Vizianagaram (1954-56). Shivlal Yadav and Sunil Gavaskar chipped in briefly on an ad-hoc basis.