Administrator par-excellence Dalmiya leaves footprint

Kolkata, Dec 27 (UNI) Even as the wily Marwari businessman and cricket administrator signed off to mark the end of an innings with his resignation from the CAB president's post today, Jagmohan Dalmiya left behind a trail-blazing record and a promise for a comeback.

Mr Dalmiya was the trend setter and the proverbial goose which lays golden eggs as every office he adorned in his chequered career as cricket administrator was left in the pink of financial health after his departure.

He was the first administrator in the subcontinent who, in 1993, opened a new avenue of revenue not only for Indian cricket, but also for world cricket, by initiating commercial sale of TV rights during the Hero Cup which was organised as a part of CAB's Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

In September of that year, Mr Dalmiya became the Hony Secretary of BCCI when it coffers were running a Rs 85 lakh deficit and when his term ended in January 2005, the Board had a surplus of Rs 100 crores.

In June 1997, Mr Dalmiya became the first Asian to become the President of International Cricket Council. ICC then had only 16,000 pound sterlings in its coffers. In 2000, when he left the office, the world body was left with a surplus of 16 million pounds.

Mr Dalmiya was also mainly responsible for making cricketers richer when he, during his tenure as BCCI president, for the first time decided to part with 26 per cent of the Board's gross revenue to the international and domestic players in addition to their match fees, besides trebling the match fees. This made the Indian cricketers the highest-paid in the world.

He also, for the first time in the history of any sports discipline in the world, introduced monthly 'Pension Scheme' for every living former Test cricketer and former Test umpire.

Moreover, his influence and negotiating skills played a big role in securing the 1996 World Cup in the Sub-Continent for the second time.

Timeline of Dalmiya's tenures as administrator: 1977: Rajasthan Club chief; CAB treasurer.

1980-84: Secretary of CAB.

1984-88: Vice-President of CAB 1989-92: Executive President of CAB 1993 to December 27: President of CAB.

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