ICC has no relevance without BCCI says Anurag Thakur, backs Ganguly

Former BCCI president Anurag Thakur on Saturday lashed out at the International Cricket Council, saying it "has no relevance" without the world's richest board, which "used to give the ICC seventy-five percent of grants" to run its affairs. Anurag Thakur, a union minister of state for finance and corporate affairs, was in the town in connection with the Sansad Mahakumbh prize distribution function. "The ICC has no relevance without the BCCI as it used to give it seventy-five percent of grants to run its affairs," said Thakur, who is the brother of newly-appointed BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal.

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Anurag Thakur backs Sourav Ganguly

He also expressed hope that the Sourav Ganguly-led new body of BCCI would take up the issue with the ICC and get its due. Anurag Thakur said the appointment of Arun as the board's treasurer is a matter of pride for the state and he was hopeful that his brother would do the job honestly. Recently, Arun also said that India not having a "say" in the ICC is a major concern for the newly-appointed treasurer, who has questioned the very relevance of the world body if it doesn't have the country in a prominent role.

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Though Anurag Thakur is not directly involved in the board's affairs anymore, he said he is open to guiding the BCCI on certain matters. Earlier, he took part in the Khel Mahakumbh function, which he had started during his last stint as a member of parliament. The tournament started last year and witnessed participation from over 42,700 youth and 1400 teams from the Hamirpur parliamentary constituency.

"I firmly believe that sports help in building character, shaping personalities and contributes immensely towards the holistic growth of an individual," Thakur said.  "Sansad Star Khel Mahakumbh was started with intent to identify grassroot-level talent, provide them with a platform and nurture them over the due course of the tournament. I have seen these players grow and some of them have transformed into great athletes and are playing at significant platforms."

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