A day before the BCCI's 89th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Ahmedabad on Thursday (December 24), Indian Cricketers Association (ICA) nominated former left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha as its representative to the IPL governing council.
According to the Indian cricket board's constitution, the ICA is required to send a member to the IPL governing council every year. The association was previously represented by Surinder Khanna, another former India cricketer.
Speaking to PTI, ICA president Ashok Malhotra confirmed the development on Ojha.
"Yes, the ICA’s directors have nominated Pragyan Ojha to the IPL governing council. Surinder Khanna has done a very good job and we like to give opportunity to everyone," he said.
The association's directors arrived at their decision at its own AGM on December 19.
"The members had authorised the Board of Directors to nominate the member to the IPL GC and the ICA Board, after due deliberations and taking into consideration any possible issues of conflict of interest, found in Ojha a suitable candidate to represent them. This nomination will hold good for one year," the ICA stated in a press release.
"The AGM conducted via video conference, touched upon the issues that had been raised by the ICA Representatives to the BCCI Apex Council to further the cause of ICA’s members."
“The representatives as also the ICA office bearers had repeatedly raised the issue with the BCCI of increasing the gratis and medical reimbursement and include widows as also those who have played between 10 and 24 first class games for the same. The BCCI has also been requested to include domestic women cricketers in their gratis scheme."
Apart from Ojha, who played 24 Tests, 18 ODIs and 6 T20Is for India, Khairul Jamal Majumdar and Brijesh Patel will be the other members of the IPL governing council. Both Majumdar and Patel were unanimously chosen by the BCCI last year.
Ojha also featured in 92 IPL games and took 89 wickets while delivering his overs at a very respectable economy rate of 7.37. He was integral to the now-defunct Deccan Chargers winning the prestigious league title back in 2009 in South Africa.
(With PTI inputs)
