Kolkata: This is like a big shock that you never anticipated! International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman, Shashank Manohar has stepped down from his post citing personal reasons, according to media reports. The lawyer from Nagpur who has also held the post of the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was eight months on the ICC job before putting in his papers. Well, he leaves ICC at a time when the game of cricket is going through a phase of transition with several key decisions on the anvil.
But what could be the personal reason? There has been no clarification yet on the immediate incident that pushed Manohar into taking this drastic step. But one could guess, he felt the pressure of the Big Three (India, Australia and England), the monopoly of which was threatened by ICC with Manohar at the helm. It was under Manohar that a new constitution was conceived which did away with the imbalance in power and financial control caused due the clout of the three important boards, reports The Indian Express. The decision on the constitution will be taken in April.
So, did the Big Three have a role in forcing Manohar to bid adieu to the coveted post? Well, the BCCI under Anurag Thakur was never happy at Manohar’s way of handling the ICC, especially when it came to challenging the monopoly of the three major cricketing powers. But with Thakur no longer the BCCI President and a new Committee of Administrators appointed by the Supreme Court in charge, it looks unlikely that the BCCI could have a role in it. But this is all a speculation as the hidden reason is not known yet. However, the role of the Australian and England cricket boards cannot be ruled out either. Perhaps, Manohar who had the distinction of becoming the first independent Chairman of the ICC, was feeling the pressure. Well, this assessment is all based on speculations going by recent developments but the question haunts. Why would a person holding such an important job relinquish his responsibilities all of a sudden?
Ardent cricket fans will be disappointed at Manohar’s exit. But, probably one could guess he had to give in to ‘enormous pressure.’ Sad!