Street-smart, task-master, people-friendly: Manhas steps into challenging BCCI role

Bengaluru, Sep 28: Mithun Manhas’ rapid ascension to the BCCI presidency, which was ratified at the AGM on Sunday, is symbolic of the decision-makers’ desire to keep the highest cricket administration post in the country firmly in the hands of cricketers.
That Manhas was chosen ahead of some big names such as Sourav Ganguly and Harbhajan Singh might have added an element of surprise to the call, but the former Delhi captain is a canny operator, who can instantly gauge the ebb and flow of developments.
His body of work with the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) as its Director of Cricket Operations offers tangible evidence.
Generally, such posts are fancy in nature and the occupants just try to complete the stint without being at the wrong end of the powers that be.
But Manhas, 45, ensured that he was hands on with the job, and under his guidance the cricketing facilities in Jammu and Srinagar received a massive facelift.
Manhas played a big part in the pitches in the state getting relaid, which had a cathartic influence on its cricketers.
“The new pitches have certainly improved the playing standards of the state cricketers. They now have more confidence while facing bigger teams like Mumbai or Baroda.
“There are now several players from the area in the North Zone (for Duleep Trophy). Certainly, the administration has been working hard to improve things, and the presence of someone as experienced and task-oriented as Manhas has been quite helpful,” P Krishna Kumar, the J&K bowling coach said.
Task-oriented is the key word here.
The BCCI’s president post comes with heaps of responsibility and unparalleled visibility and scrutiny, which mandates a person of immense mental fortitude.
The two previous board presidents – Sourav Ganguly and Roger Binny – came with high reputations as players and commanded immediate respect from everyone around, and it, in a way, helped them stay above questions.
But Manhas does not have that luxury. He may be adept in administration at state-level but the BCCI officialdom is a tough place, and now the 45-year-old needs to construct his own space in the corridors of power among some veteran administrators.
Here Manhas’ inherent diligence and the willingness to put in the hard yards will help him in that task.
However, there is another contour to the personality of Manhas.
He had a long first-class career across 157 matches scoring 9714 runs and during that nearly two-decade long journey the right-hander was part of the Delhi dressing room that had players like Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Ashish Nehra, Akash Chopra, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant etc at various times.
Manhas was also their captain for a number of seasons without really getting over-awed by the presence of stars, and generally keeping the dressing room in harmony. (PTI)