‘He’s got all the boxes ticked’- Ravi Shastri delighted with the possibility of Roger Binny becoming Indian Cricket Board’s next President
Ravi Shastri-Roger Binny (Source: Twitter)
Roger Binny, a key member of India’s World Cup-winning team in 1983, is set to take over as president of the Indian Cricket Board on October 18. Binny will take over for former India captain Sourav Ganguly, who will no longer hold an official position on the board after reportedly rejecting the chairmanship of the Indian T20 League.
Binny is the only candidate who has filed a nomination for president, and he is expected to be elected unopposed at the AGM next Tuesday. Ravi Shastri, former India coach and Binny’s former teammate, was overjoyed with the news. Binny ticks all the boxes for becoming a successful President and leading Indian cricket forward, according to Shastri.
“I’m delighted because he was my colleague in the World Cup. There’s continuity there because he was the president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association. So, he moves on to become the president of the BCCI. And I’m extremely happy because he’s a World Cup winner, who’s the president for the first time in the history of the BCCI. His credentials are unquestionable. He’s got all the boxes ticked to take up this post,” Shastri told Ayaz Memon at a ‘Meet-the-media programme’ at the Mumbai Press Club.
You have to make Indian cricket a spectator-friendly sport: Ravi Shastri
The 60-year-old, who was also a member of India’s first World Cup victory under Kapil Dev’s leadership in 1983, believes Binny’s first priority should be to make Indian cricket more spectator-friendly.
“Binny is a very amiable guy, he has got a mind of his own. He might not be a flippant type, but when he opens his mouth, I’m sure that he will be heard, especially on cricketing matters. One area that he would look into and Indian cricket must look into is the fact that you have to make Indian cricket a spectator-friendly sport, so for me, the most important thing is that the facilities at the ground should be upgraded big time. It should be insisted upon, with the kind of bucks coming into the sport, the kind of people who come into the ground, they’ve got to get the best facilities. If that happens, the popularity of the sport will soar even further” Shastri added.
