Srinagar: In what many describe as an unusual development in Indian cricket administration, the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), former Delhi cricketer Mithun Manhas, is reportedly operating an office from Srinagar instead of functioning primarily from the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai.
Manhas, who previously served as a member of the BCCI-appointed sub-committee that administered the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), was elected BCCI President last year — a position regarded as one of the most powerful in world cricket given the BCCI’s enormous financial and administrative influence over the global game.
Traditionally, the BCCI President functions from the Board’s headquarters in Mumbai. However, after Manhas assumed office, the JKCA building at SK Stadium, Sonwar Srinagar, was reportedly renovated by the then BCCI-appointed sub-committee and a dedicated office space earmarked specifically for the BCCI President.
While there appears to be nothing illegal in the BCCI President operating from Srinagar or maintaining an office outside Mumbai, the move has nevertheless triggered debate within cricket circles. Many are questioning why a special office was created in Srinagar for the BCCI chief, something unprecedented in the history of the Board.
Cricket observers point out that the office space was renovated and designated during the tenure of the same sub-committee in which Manhas himself had earlier served. With an elected body now having formally taken charge of JKCA affairs, questions are also being raised over whether the continued use of the premises requires approval or sanction from the newly elected JKCA administration, considering the property belongs to the JKCA.
On Friday, Manhas visited the Srinagar office for the first time after the elected JKCA body officially assumed charge. Interestingly, despite both being present within the same premises, neither newly elected JKCA President Javid Kitab met the visiting BCCI President, nor was there any visible effort from either side to exchange formal courtesies.
The absence of interaction between the two has once again highlighted the apparent strain between sections of the newly elected JKCA leadership and the previous BCCI-backed administrative setup that governed cricket in Jammu & Kashmir for nearly a decade.
“There is nothing wrong in having an office in Srinagar, but naturally questions will be asked about why there is a need for it,” said a former cricketer while speaking to this newspaper.
“The BCCI President is among the most powerful figures in world cricket. Normally, one would expect him to operate primarily from the Mumbai headquarters. A dedicated office in Srinagar gives rise to perceptions and speculation at different levels within cricket administration,” he added.
A former JKCA office-bearer also questioned the manner in which the visit took place, especially in the absence of any communication with the newly elected JKCA President.
“If the BCCI President was visiting Srinagar officially, informing the JKCA President would have been appropriate. Proper protocol and courtesies could then have been extended,” he said.
“However, since he already has an office in the premises, technically he can visit anytime without requiring formal arrangements. Even then, it would have been better if a courtesy call had been exchanged with the newly elected JKCA President. That would have sent a healthier message for cricket administration in J&K,” he added.
The development comes at a time when the JKCA is witnessing an uneasy transition from the long-running BCCI-appointed administration to an elected body following the recent legal and administrative developments surrounding the association.
