I was forced to resign as BCCI president: Shashank Manohar

Shashank Manohar

Shashank Manohar, who quit as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) yesterday, said he was "forced" to resign. Speaking over his wife Varsha's mobile from Mahabaleshwar, where he is on vacation, Manohar said: "I could not work in the present scenario. I don't want to name anyone, but can say I have been forced to resign."

Shashank Manohar

Asked whether the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha committee's recommendations made his task difficult, Manohar said: "I don't want to say anything more except that I wanted to run the organisation (BCCI) on my terms and conditions. I didn't want my image be spoiled. I didn't wish to run the board with others' influence."

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Is he all set to continue with the ICC as their chairman? "Who says so? You are asking a hypothetical question. There is a nomination process at the ICC and the process is not yet over. The next ICC chairman can be at the mercy of others' nominations. There will be secret voting," he shot back.

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Leaving in a crisis
Manohar stepped down as BCCI president barely seven months after being appointed for a second term in place of the late Jagmohan Dalmiya and is all set to take over as the first independent chairman of ICC.

Manohar leaves at a time when the board is being directed to comply with the Supreme Court-appointed Justice Lodha panel's reform recommendations. In a letter addressed to BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur, Manohar said, "I hereby tender my resignation with immediate effect from the post of President of Board of Control for Cricket in India.

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"I also resign with immediate effect as the representative of BCCI on the International Cricket Council, as also the Asian Cricket Council on which I was nominated by the General Body of BCCI.

"I thank all my colleagues and the staff for their support and cooperation during my tenure. I wish all of you all the very best in taking the cause of Cricket to greater heights."

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As per norm, Manohar has also resigned from the ICC chairman's post as he was a BCCI representative in the apex body and resignation from his country's board effectively means that he does not stay as ICC chairman.

The 58-year-old Manohar will not be a representative of any country's cricket board as per the changes recommended by the ICC board and will need two independent members of the ICC Board to recommend his name.