I am not disenchanted with BCCI, but with the overall scenario: Shashank Manohar
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Explaining his decision to quit the post of BCCI chairman, Shashank Manohar said that he did not leave because he felt disillusioned with the body. Clarifying that he could have very well continued to hold the ICC President's role in parallel, Manohar said that he chose to do so of his own volition.
The whole world knows how powerful the BCCI president's post is in the global context. Why would I quit a post if I had been angling for it [ICC chairmanship]?," Manohar told the Times of India. "I could have continued to be the BCCI president as well as the ICC chairman, and not pushed for a change in the global body to have an independent head."
Manohar has been credited with spearheading a series of reforms to clean up the cricketing scene and was praised by Justice Mudgal, who headed the committee that carried out investigations in the IPL 2013 betting and spot-fixing scandal. Manohar has been the ICC Chairman since last October, and the decision to have an independent candidate as ICC chief was taken under Manohar. The outgoing BCCI Chief had said that the previous system, of ICC Chairman not serving as an independent position, was putting him in an unethical position.
"As BCCI's nominee, am I not duty-bound to fight for our cause? On the other hand, as ICC chairman, I am expected to protect its interests. That's why I have proposed that the post of the ICC chairman should be made independent and it has been accepted unanimously," Manohar had said.
Although he stepped down from the powerful post as the BCCI Chairman, Manohar did not give any specific reason for doing so.
“After taking over as the BCCI president for the second time I did my best and brought in major changes in the organisation. I feel certain portions of the Lodha panel's recommendations are not in the interests of the board.
"I am not disenchanted with the BCCI, but with the overall scenario," Manohar said. "I shared my thoughts with my colleagues over the past couple of months. I must say there was pressure on me to continue but I have never felt comfortable hanging on to any post without contributing significantly," Manohar said.
