According to the recent Supreme Court ruling, there is a cooling off clause for past and present administrators and this has made former India captain Sourav Ganguly a prime candidate to take over as the new BCCI president.
The Supreme Court did set aside some of the Lodha Panel recommendations and has approved a new draft constitution which would rejig the BCCI administration.
Ganguly, who is currently the head of the Cricket Association of Bengal, is into his fourth year as administrator and third as president. According to a BCCI functionary's statement to Indian Express, "he is definitely eligible and ticks most of the boxes"
Ganguly has the support of BCCI
The former India captain made his entry into administration shortly before the death of former BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya. Ganguly is viewed as an extremely ambitious person and has donned several hats which include being a part of the BCCI technical committee, IPL Governing Council, Lodha Commission, and the cricket advisory committee. BCCI officials see him as an astute mind which might tip the scales in his favour.
According to the Indian Express report, the former captain himself is quite keen to take up the challenge and wants to enter the fray. However, he does not want any other person vying for the spot to avoid any sort of mudslinging. There are several voices, who believe that Ganguly's experience in administration should be very helpful, hence he is a better candidate than any newcomer.
"Players can be good administrators but it depends on how much time they put in. What you are ready to put in as an administrator is also important. I think non-players can also be very good and I think it should be a balance of both; they both have a place in the system, and that's important," Ganguly told The Hindu.
If the new arrangement does see the light of the day, Ganguly will have to walk away from the job after two years, as he will complete six cumulative years in administration. However, this should not be a problem as the board members believe that even two years under the former skipper would add stability to the board.
