Shashank Manohar 'anti-Indian', reduced India's importance in world cricket: Ex-BCCI boss N Srinivasan

Former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president N Srinivasan has said Shashank Manohar's departure as International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman is good riddance.

On Wednesday, the ICC said that Shashank Manohar stepped down from the role of ICC chairman after two 2-year tenures at the top job. The ICC Board met and agreed that Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja will assume the responsibilities of the Chairperson until a successor is elected.

Stressing that Manohar caused a lot of damage to Indian cricket by hiring the country's finances at the ICC, Srinivasan said Indian cricketer fraternity will be happy that Manohar resigned from the role of ICC chairman.
Srinivasan hit out at the Nagpur-based lawyer, saying he had run away from the BCCI president post during a crisis situation in 2015 and that he is leaving the ICC top job in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"My personal view is he has done so much damage to Indian cricket that every person involved in Indian cricket will be happy (with his exit)," Sriniavasan told The Times of India.

"He has hurt India's finances in the game, has hurt India's chances at the ICC, he has been anti-Indian and has reduced India's importance in world cricket.

"He is running away now because he knows he will not get any bow from the Indian leadership."

In 2019, BCCI had reportedly decided to oppose Manohar's potential re-appointment as ICC chairman. Notably, Manohar could have served another term of 2 years but he had decided against it.

Srinivasan said Manohar knew that he would not be able to represent India after newly-appointed office-bearers took charge of the BCCI last year.

"Ever since the new leadership has come into BCCI, Shashank knew he could not afford to represent India and use that as a vehicle for his convenience. He knew he had no chance (to continue) and therefore he had run away,"
Srinivasan said.

BCCI has been at loggerheads with Manohar over the years as the Indian cricket board has pinpointed him for reducing its share in ICC's revenue. While the ICC adopted the Big Three model during the tenure of Srinivasan as ICC chairman, Manohar's leadership cut down India's share in the revenue model.

As recently as this year, several BCCI officials had blamed Manohar for delaying the final call on T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in Australia in October-November in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.