State honours for Jagmohan Dalmiya

Kolkata: Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Jagmohan Dalmiya was laid to rest with full state honours and a gun salute on Monday in the presence of Indian cricket fraternity. India’s top cricket administrators including BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, ICC chairman N. Srinivasan, IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla, former presidents Sharad Pawar and Shashank Manohar, former Team India captain Sourav Ganguly and chief minister Mamata Banerjee paid their final respects to the dynamic cricket administrator at CAB office in Eden Gardens where his body was kept. The 75-year-old passed away yesterday following a massive cardiac arrest at the B M Birla Heart Research Centre where he was admitted on Thursday. Dalmiya is survived by son Avishek, daughter Vaishali and wife Chandralekha.

Bengal cricket team players Deep Dasgupta, Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Asok Dinda, India’s women cricket team player Jhulan Goswami, former Olympian Gurbux Singh also bid the former ICC chief an emotional farewell.

Indian cricket Team Director Ravi Shastri and BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur were the first to visit Dalmiya’s 10 Alipore Road residence. His last journey began from his residence at 12.15pm and his body was taken to Eden Gardens at around 1 pm. Sourav Ganguly, who is now a CAB joint secretary was present throughout his last journey. According the Indian cricket fraternity, the cricket administrator had changed the face of the sport in the country and helped it gain popularity.

After paying floral tributes, Mr Thakur said, “He was a dynamic personality and a true sport administrator loved by everyone in India and abroad. He was a visionary leader and a great sports administrator. He will be remembered for bringing in reforms to the game of cricket.”

Leaders of major political parties, officials of sports clubs, former CAB members, friends and fans stood in a queue at Eden Gardens to pay homage to the former ICC chief. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee came at around 3pm. The BCCI president was accorded state guard of honour followed by a three-round gun salute by 10 Kolkata Police officials in the presence of Indian cricket fraternity. Sourav Ganguly along with state ministers and other CAB officials went to the Keoratala Burning Ghat where he was cremated at 4pm.

BCCI will play by the book

Speculation has already started as to who would become the next BCCI president and IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla said it’s not the right time to talk about it. “The future will take its course. BCCI will go by the constitutional provisions. What he did to Indian cricket nobody could do. The way he expanded cricket to every nook and corner is unparalleled. He virtually transformed ICC cricket concept.”

The leadership vacuum created in the BCCI following president Dalmiya’s demise will be filled only after secretary Anurag Thakur calls a Special General Meeting. A BCCI source said: “In the constitution it is stated that in case of death of president, a notice has to be issued by BCCI Secretary for a special AGM within 21 days wherein the interim president will be chosen.”