Two former presidents of the Board of Control for Cricket in India are locked in a tussle over who commands more loyalty in the about-to-be-recast institution.
Both are, of course, looking beyond the very immediate. Clearly, they've been undeterred by the inevitability of a Supreme Court-appointed panel of administrators running the Board.
According to well-placed sources of The Telegraph in Mumbai and in New Delhi, the two former presidents have taken an entirely different stand on recommending three names to the Supreme Court, one of whom will represent India at the upcoming meeting of the International Cricket Council's executive board.
The meeting is in Dubai between February 2-5.
While one former president spread word that he favoured sending either acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary or Board treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry, the other "wished" that the 31 affiliates not reply to the email sent to them by Amitabh.
Amitabh is currently standing-in as the Board has been without a secretary after Ajay Shirke's removal by the Supreme Court.
Anurag Thakur, the president, too got removed on January 2.
The names were to have been placed before the Supreme Court by Friday evening, but nobody in the Board could say absolutely anything on the matter.
While one former president has become ineligible to again become an office-bearer, the doors haven't shut for good on the other.
The one who is ineligible, according to the norms recommended by the Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha committee (and accepted by the Supreme Court), obviously wants to act as kingmaker at some point in the future.
As for the other former president, he could return after a three-year cooling-off period.
Three years isn't exactly a very long period, provided the 'flock' is kept together.
Significantly, the well-placed sources are convinced that the younger former president has the numbers on the issue of three names, at least.
The Board is about to be changed almost beyond recognition, but those who have tasted power just can't do without some of it in one form or the other.
Courtesy: The Telegraph
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