Narendra Modi takes the charge of Gujarat cricket board

AHMEDABAD: When Narendra Modi first became chief minister of Gujarat in October 2001, he said he had come to play a one-day match. He implied that he had only one year to go for Gujarat Assembly elections — the previous four years having been consumed by his predecessor Keshubhai Patel. Modi won both the 2002 and 2007 Assembly elections.

All this may have been a political metaphor, his real cricketing innings has just started with a sudden change in batting order at the top. Instead of minister of state for home Amit Shah, who was supposed to take over as Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) president on Tuesday, it was Modi who decided to pad up and go in as opener himself.

Modi was unanimously elected as the president of the association, formally ending a 16-year rule of Congressman and former deputy CM Narhari Amin. The Gujarat CM joins the league of other politicians like Sharad Pawar, Arun Jaitley, Lalu Yadav, late Madhavrao Scindia etc who have taken control of cricket — not always for the love of the game.

Shah, the key man who effected the power shift after a prolonged political struggle and legal battle, becomes vice-president. The writing on the wall became clear in May when the Shah-led faction won the elections to Central Board of Cricket, Ahmedabad (CBCA), the key to controlling the cash-rich GCA.

"In one or two weeks we will chalk out our strategy to spread and develop not only cricket but other sports as well. We will try and create an environment where cricketers and other sportspersons get respect and pride," Modi said after his unanimous election.

Observers say Modi's motivation may be his focus on the youth. Control over cricket would only help him nurse this segment. "What better than cricket to get a hold over youth," said a GCA official.

The chief minister, it is learnt, already has a plan in mind of building sports infrastructure all over Gujarat with cricket money, and use the facilities for other sporting disciplines as well. He would, however, be limited in his role in the state as the GCA is only one of the three cricket associations in Gujarat affiliated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) — the other two being Saurashtra and Baroda.