Reports: Sourav Ganguly, Anurag Thakur front-runners for BCCI post

After BCCI president Shashank Manohar quit his post to take up the ICC chairmanship, reports suggest that secretary of the board Anurag Thakur and former Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly are in the running for the post.

According to the sources of Hindustan Times, Ganguly and National Cricket Club (NCC) will back Thakur for the president’s post, adding that the former Indian opener could be considered for the post of secretary.

While the ex-Indian skipper could be one of the potential candidates for the president’s role, he might not be the right fit as per the rules, which states that a candidate has to attend two Annual General Meetings.

Ganguly‘s stint with the cricket board started in September 2015, when he was made the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal, following the death of Jagmohan Dalmiya. He was also made a member of the IPL governing council.

The other big names doing the rounds are IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla, president of the Maharashtra Cricket Association Ajay Shirke and Andhra Cricket Association secretary G. Gangaraju.

One of the candidates, who is contesting for the post earlier told Hindustan Times that it was not possible to predict the result. “There is no consensus, no shortlist, it’s like everyone wants to be president. There is going to be massive lobbying and new names will keep coming up till the election is held.”

It is also believed that this could make former BCCI president N Srinivasan active again, who was asked to step down from his post of president by the Supreme Court in 2014 after the IPL betting scandal. “Whoever is contesting will come to seek Srinivasan’s support. Like last time, he will be happy to support Sharad Pawar," an official from the South added.

Thakur had said that the board will set the date for the process after calling a working committee meeting. For a candidate to be made the president, a simple majority of 16 votes in a 30-member house will be needed.