BHUBANESWAR 30-Sep-2013 162
Nine office-bearers of Odisha Cricket Association bagged as many as 10 posts in different statutory committees of the Board of Control for Cricket in India in its elections held during the 84th Annual General Meeting at Chennai yesterday. OCA president and former India under-19 captain Ranjib Biswal was elected the new Governing Council chairman of Indian Premier League (IPL), upstaging former ICC and BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, who is now the president of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).
OCA honorary secretary Asirbad Behera became the member of both Marketing Committee and TV Production Committee, while OCA treasurer Satya Mohanty, joint-secretaries Sanjib Kumar Dutta and Siba Prasad Tripathy retained their posts as members of Tour Programme & Fixture Committee, Museum Committee and Media Committee respectively.
Rabi Sankar Pratihari, another joint-secretary of OCA, was included in the Corporate Trophy Committee as member, while OCA council members Rabindra Kumar Parida and Pratap Satpathy were taken in as members of Zonal Academy Committee and Legal Committee respectively. Odisha senior team coach and former Test bowler Debasis Mohanty completed the list of OCA representatives in the BCCI set-up, finding a place as member in the Technical Committee.
``Making next year`s Indian Premier League controversy-free, transpaent and successful will be top priority,`` said Mr Biswal, who was given a rousing reception here at the Bhubaneswar airport on his return home from Chennai today.
Meanwhile, OCA secretary Behera dropped a bombshell by revealing that Biswal would have been the treasurer of BCCI if Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Dalmiya had not opposed to his candidature. ``Ranjib was all set to become the new treasure. But Dalmiya insisted the post be awarded to some other state and he be made the IPL governing council chairman. But it turned out to be a thumping victory for Biswal and a big setback for Dalmiya,`` recalled Behera.
The OCA secretary also refuted media reports that Jharkhand Cricket Association president Amitabh Choudhary had raised objection to Biswal becoming the IPL chief. ``Representatives of Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam and Tripura were unanimous in supporting Biswal, who also got the backing of Services and Railways,`` disclosed Behera, adding that the domination of Dalmiya and CAB in East Zone had ended with the Odisha, Jharkhand, Assam and Tripura coming together to fight for their justified rights.
``The CAB president was dictating terms in East Zone as he had an additional vote on behalf of Kolkata-based National Cricket Club. But with the other four states getting united, Dalmiya has been sidelined. Now onwards all five states of the zone will be uniformly benefited,`` claimed Behera.
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PHOTO: Warm reception for new IPL chief Ranjib Biswal, OCA secretary Asirbad Behera in Bhubaneswar on September 30, 2013.
