Reports: Anurag Thakur to become next BCCI President

If reports are to be believed, current Board of Control for Cricket in India Secretary Anurag Thakur is set to become the BCCI President after the post was left vacant by Shashank Manohar who tendered his resignation few days back. There were rumours that Thakur could replace Manohar as the chief of the apex body after the latter shunned his post and now has been elected unopposed as the first independent chairman of the International Cricket Council.

According to Times of India, Thakur has reportedly secured the backing of East Zone representatives who are going to nominate the president this time around. The reports also said that the Thakur camp hasn’t left any stone unturned to make him a unanimous candidate for the presidential post.

Earlier, it was reported that Thakur was the frontrunner to replace Manohar for the top post and the odds are definitely in his favour to grab the high-profile post this time around. But the reports also suggest that there are a few BCCI units who are not in favour of Thakur taking over the top post of the cricket board.

The striking fact is that some of these units also backed Thakur for the secretary's post last year. According to a board official, Thakur is eager for the post this time as he fears the fact if the Lodha Committee’s proposals are implemented, then Thakur won't be eligible for any board position in 2017.

The panel suggested that a BCCI office-bearer must abstain from any post after serving two terms in office and the suggestions go against Thakur if he wants to become the President in 2017.

It is also reported that if Thakur becomes the President, then the head of the Maharashtra Cricket Association Ajay Shirke could become the next BCCI secretary.

However, Mr. Shirke, who was earlier in the race for the President’s post, denied the speculations of him becoming the chief a few weeks ago, “There are several reports doing the rounds, but I can assure you that I had no meeting or any sort of communication with Manohar. I haven’t tried to communicate with anyone either,” reported the Hindustan Times.

Other names that did the rounds were of G. Gangaraju and Rajeev Shukla. Gangaraju, who was recently elected the BCCI Vice-President (South Zone), was a contender for the post last time as well.

The Secretary of the Andhra Cricket Association can be promoted up the hierarchy this time around but age is not on his side. The 69-year-old's active association with politics might be an obstacle in his way of becoming the president of the apex body.

The IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla, who has been associated with the BCCI for a long time, was also a contender for the post as reported earlier.