BCCI tells court Anurag Thakur a well-known player

New Delhi, BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, who’s also a BJP parliamentarian from Hamirpur, has come a long way in cricket administration. But is the HPCA president a great cricketer too?
The BCCI, it seems, thinks so. The BCCI counsel, KK Venugopal, while arguing on the affidavit filed by the BCCI to counter the Justice RM Lodha recommendations, told the Supreme Court on Thursday that the involvement of some of the former great cricketers in the BCCI administration has helped the game.
Reading out from the affidavit, he cited the examples of Dilip Vengsarkar, Brijesh Patel and Shivlal Yadav — all former India players — who are involved in the administration of the game. The counsel then went on to add Thakur’s name to the list, calling him a well-known cricketer.
There is no denying that Thakur has played age-group cricket and one first class match. That, however, doesn’t make him a “well-known” cricketer. Besides, he didn’t play that one-off Ranji match on merit.
After becoming the HPCA president in June 2000, Thakur named himself as the captain of the Himachal side in a Ranji Trophy match against Jammu and Kashmir. He did so in order to become eligible for the BCCI’s junior selection committee — as per rules then, only someone having played first class cricket could become a selector. For the record, he was dismissed for a naught in that match. He, however, did pick up two late wickets. By virtue of that lone outing against J&K, Thakur went on to become an Indian junior selector. And now, the BCCI has put him alongside some of the well-known India cricketers.
Incidentally, in naming himself the captain, Thakur followed in the footsteps of former HPCA secretary SC Nayyar, who also led Himachal in their first ever Ranji game at the age of 46 in late 1980s.
Going back on Bihar
The BCCI also took a complete u-turn on Bihar during the hearing. The BCCI affidavit clearly says that “since there is a tussle between various groups in Bihar and the matter is pending before the Apex court, it is awaiting the outcome of the said matter”. But recently, during its Special General Meeting in Mumbai, the BCCI awarded Associate membership to Bihar Cricket Association (BCA), controlled by former chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, and allowed its representative Mrityunjay Tiwary to attend the SGM. It has now changed its stand in the court.