Roger Binny becomes 36th President of BCCI: The former India cricketer is an all-rounder in true sense

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New Delhi, Oct 19: Former India cricketer Roger Binny has been elected as the 36th president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at the 91st Annual General Meeting at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai on Tuesday (October 18).

Binny (67) succeeds former India skipper Sourav Ganguly as his three-year term came to an end. Binny is the only cricketer in the BCCI's administration panel while the rest of the members have a political background.

The former India all-rounder - who was part of the 1983 World Cup-winning Indian side - has donned various hats in the past. He has become the first player from the champions from 1983 to be elected as the full-time head of the BCCI.

He was serving as the head of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) before filing his nomination for the BCCI president and has been elected the board president unopposed. His elevation as the BCCI chief makes him the most powerful person in world cricket.

Before Binny, the BCCI had only two other Test players as full-time presidents in the past i.e. Sourav Ganguly and the Maharajkumar of Vizianagaram (1954-56). However, former cricketers Shivlal Yadav and Sunil Gavaskar served as the board presidents briefly on an ad-hoc basis.

Binny - son of a railway guard - is a very popular figure in the Anglo-Indian community in Bengaluru and was the first Anglo-Indian of Scottish origin to play cricket for India.

Binny had also served as a member of the national senior selection committee of the BCCI, but in 2015 he was removed due to a conflict of interest as his son Stuart Binny was part of the national side.

He had previously served as a member of the KSCA before taking over the reins of the state body in 2019. He took over the office at a critical time when KSCA was hit by a spot-fixing scandal in the state league Karnataka Premier League (KPL).

Earlier this year, the state association successfully organised a renewed domestic T20 cricket league titled 'Maharaja T20 League' and Binny gets the credit for that.

International Cricket Career:

The right-arm pace-bowling all-rounder has played 27 Tests and picked up 47 wickets between 1979 and 1987. In 72 ODIs, he played between 1980 and 1987, Binny bagged 77 wickets.

However, his biggest achievement came during the 1983 World Cup where the seamer bagged 18 wickets in eight innings. He was the leading wicket-taker in the showpiece event.

Two years later, Binny proved his performance in the English summer in 1983 wasn't a fluke when he emerged as the leading wicket-taker in the 1985 World Series Cricket in Australia. Binny claimed 17 wickets in the tournament and played a vital role in Team India's title triumph Down Under.

A successful coach:

Binny tasted another World Cup glory in 15-years later when India's U-19 team went on to win the U-19 WC under his watchful eyes. Binny was the coach of the Mohammed Kaif-led India colts which created history in South Africa. He even wanted to become the head coach of the national men's team but the board appointed John Wright for the job in 2000. He has also worked in the past with a few Ranji teams.

A genuine 'all-rounder'

Binny was a complete athlete in a true sense as he's played hockey, and football and even holds the record in Bangalore Schools Under-18 javelin which he set in 1973. He has even claimed that his experience in other sports helped him become a better cricketer.