Shashank Manohar’s sudden resignation has not surprised BCCI officials who have called him a ‘habitual quitter’

What’s the story?

Shashank Manohar has decided to put down his papers as the International Cricket Council's independent chairman, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not completely surprised with his decision. Manohar was only 10 months into his two-year tenure before deciding to step down on Wednesday.

“This is very shocking because he had big plans to revive the ICC functioning. However, with Manohar, it is quite known that he has the habit to quit in between,” a senior member of the BCCI told Hindustan Times.

“When he came to the BCCI again, he had promised certain things. And when the BCCI needed him the most (to deal with the Supreme Court in the Lodha Committee report implementation), he quit and went to the ICC.

“Now, he has quit from the ICC post as well. It just shows that he cannot be entrusted with big responsibilities,” the BCCI member added.

In case you didn’t know...

In May last year, Manohar resigned from the BCCI President’s post and opted to become the ICC Chairman. His decision came at an inopportune time because that was when the BCCI was fighting the Lodha Committee reforms at the Supreme Court.

Senior BCCI officials criticised Manohar’s move stating that the lawyer-turned-cricket administrator had left the board at a crucial time when his guidance was most needed.

The BCCI now runs under the Supreme Court appointed Committee of Administrators.

The heart of the matter

The 59-year-old Manohar, as reported by the Times of India, mailed his resignation letter to ICC CEO Dave Richardson without mentioning the exact reason for this abrupt move.

Meanwhile, the ICC is without a leader at the moment, that is until it appoints a new chairman at the board meetings in April. Manohar is yet to address the public regarding his resignation.

What’s next?

The next step for the ICC will be to appoint an interim chairman, before holding elections to find a permanent candidate. The elections can be held before the next round of board meetings in April. All ICC directors, both past and present, are eligible to vote for a new leader, provided they are not holding positions with their home board.

Author’s Take

When Manohar worked with the BCCI, he failed to prevent the infamous IPL scandal from taking place. He failed to devote the time and energy expected of the president of a board and lacked administrative expertise. His abrupt and uninformed resignations, both from the BCCI and the ICC, only go on to prove that his absence here on is good news for cricket.