Anurag Thakur is in the hot seat as BCCI’s newly-elected president. With someone who believes in plainspeak and is driven, firm yet pliant, however, things at the Indian cricketing body might finally change for the better
I am passionate about bringing a change in people’s life. And I am glad that both as a cricket administrator, and a politician, I get to pursue my passion,” says Anurag Thakur, a few hours after being elected the Board of Control for Cricket of India (BCCI) supremo. The second-youngest president of the world cricket's richest body has the entire cricketing world looking up to him for succour in times that are turbulent for the BCCI, to say the least.
The 41-year-old BJP MP from Hamirpur, and Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) head, Thakur’s elevation as president-BCCI was only a matter of time, after the chair was left vacant by outgoing President Shashank Manohar. As mentioned before, these are troubled times for the BCCI. The world cricketing body is facing the heat from India’s Supreme Court to implement the Justice R M Lodha Committee’s recommendations for sweeping reforms. Thakur, however, portrays a confident demeanour; after all, he has 16 years of experience in the field, and has served his apprenticeship as a cricket administrator.
He asserts, “I would like to state my example when I took over as the HPCA President at 25 years; I inherited only seven chairs, one iron cupboard and a typewriter. But within five years, we went on to build one of the most beautiful internationally-reputed cricket stadia in the world — in Dharamshala.” Not just that, under him, the HPCA has also built five more stadiums in the state. The drive that fuelled Thakur to build these stadia was to promote the state’s budding cricket talent, and provide them with an opportunity to hone their skills.
When Thakur’s father quit the constituency of Hamirpur in 2008 to take charge of the state as chief minister, Thakur was elected to the lower house of the Parliament. If that was unexpected, his becoming president, HPCA, at a young age of 25 seemed incredulous. Thakur proved his mettle, though, and went on to promote his state into the national cricketing mainstream.
Few people know, however, that to be eligible for a post in BCCI's junior selection committee, you need to be a Ranji Trophy player. Well, Thakur has played a Ranji match as president of the state association. He recounted to his shocked teammates he would not only play, but lead the side against Jammu and Kashmir. Thakur was also an active junior-level cricketer, having led Punjab U-16 to a Vijay Merchant Trophy triumph. He loves to take risks because in his opinion, “Risk equals reward. If it means a reward for the people I am helping, it is a risk worth taking.”
A perfect sweep
Son of former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Premkumar Dhumal, the BCCI president means business and has taken up the daunting challenge of smoothening BCCI operations. He is deeply passionate about cricket as a sport – a streak that sets him apart from many other administrators. “Cricket has always been very close to my heart. I started playing when I was 14 and then went on to represent the state in under-16 and under-19,” he says, adding how his journey from the cricket pitch to administration was fueled from the vision to bring international cricket to his home state Himachal Pradesh and provide a platform for aspiring cricketers. “It is then that I took over as the president of HPCA in 2000.”
Later, Thakur went on to become an IPL governing council member and then, BCCI joint secretary in 2011, when he was among the first few senior BCCI officials to oppose Srinivasan for inaction following the arrest of his son-in-law and Chennai Super Kings official Gurunath Meiyappan in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal.
He refused to accept Srinivasan’s support to become BCCI president in March 2015, and instead stuck to the opposition camp and was elected secretary by just one vote.
Given a choice between becoming a cricketer or an administrator, Thakur says it’s a tough one to answer. “Cricket is my passion and in both my roles I have given my 100 per cent; it would be extremely difficult to choose between the two.”
What won’t be easy either will be tackling the Lodha panel recommendations that might diminish the influence of elected members. What also remains to be seen is if Thakur can challenge the amendments that the earlier president had made, which gave massive financial clout and authority in world cricket to three dominating nations — India, Australia and England.
Where heading the International Cricket Council (ICC) is concerned, Thakur says, “That is something I have not thought about as I am completely focused on my role at BCCI and to promote the sport across the country.”
What might stand in Thakur’s favour is how firm he is in his belief, but is pliable at the same time. It’s too early to talk of the next five years, he feels, and plans to go easy, “I live in the present and don’t think that far ahead. I give my best shot at whatever I do, as it is important for me to feel satisfied at the end of each day about my contribution.”
His vision as BCCI president: “To popularise the sport across the length and breadth of the nation. Cricket is India’s most popular game but more important for us are the fans, because no matter what the weather is, be it heat, rain or cold, they buy tickets to watch the game and make it what it is.”
In addition to this, the BCCI wants to popularise Test cricket and this year, it is hosting around 13 Test matches. Every state unit has been told to reserve a minimum of 10 per cent tickets for students, girl children and the speciallyabled, which will be given to them free of cost so that they can come and witness the matches.
The next few months with Thakur in the hot seat will be worth following, as the unambiguous operational style and combative attitude of this BJP politician is sure to help him look at the bigger picture and focus entirely on BCCI policy affairs. Although he agrees his hands are full, Thakur says he is committed to work towards the upliftment of cricket in India. “The most interesting part of my work as a cricket administrator is to provide budding cricketers with opportunity. And as a politician, helping as many people as I can, thereby contributing towards their wellbeing,” he says. Regarded as a player's man, Thakur shares a good rapport with the national team’s past and present cricketers and that says a lot about him in the Indian cricketing domain. Now he just has to make the right moves at the right time and take BCCI to a new high.