Jagmohan Dalmya (Jaggu to his friends, colleagues and intimates) President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) died in Kolkata last week, aged 75 He had been ailing for recently and it was hardly a surprise when the end came. He was given a fitting farewell at the iconic Eden Garden cricket ground which he did so much to restore from its previous dilapidated state. But it was what he did for Indian cricket that marked him out for special acclaim. The BCCI existed on a shoestring when he took over for his first tenure as president. Together with I.S. Bindra from Punjab he helped release international cricket from the stranglehold of England and Australia and made the administration of the game truly international. The International Cricket Council (ICC) was set up, of which he was elected its first President. A businessman in private life, he revolutionized the management of cricket in India, making it the richest by far of any national board in the world. Having played the sport at good club level, he was always open to cricketers, national and international, and their suggestions for the improvements, the welfare of cricketers and spreading the game to every continent. Tributes poured in thick and fast, the most moving from the former Australian captain and cricket great Ian Chappell, who recalled his achievements and the things left undone, such a world championship of Test cricket, which Chappell felt, Dalmya would have seen through had his stint as ICC president been of a longer duration. Jagmohan Dalmya was accorded State honours, with a road in Kolkata to be bear his name. He deserved the many accolades from cricketers, past and present, and also those of administrators who knew him well and respected his dedication to the game of cricket (Telegraph, Times of India, September 23).
