NEW DELHI: Former BCCI president Inderjit Singh Bindra, who played a major role in ushering in a new era of cricket marketing, passed away here on Sunday. He was 84.
He is survived by a son and daughter.
Bindra served as the board president from 1993 to 1996, and was also the president of the Punjab Cricket Association from 1978 to 2014.
In 2015, the PCA stadium was renamed as IS Bindra Stadium as a tribute to his inspiring work as an administrator.
Jay Shah, chairman of the International Cricket Council, wrote on his 'X' account: “Deepest condolences on the passing of Mr. I S Bindra, former BCCI president and a stalwart of Indian cricket administration. May his legacy inspire future generations. Om Shanti.”
As Shah mentioned, Bindra was indeed a stalwart of Indian cricket administration, having started the association with the game as an official in 1975.
He was best remembered for his role in organising the 1987 World Cup — then known as the Reliance Cup — in India and it was the first time the global event was moved out of England after the 1975, 1979 and 1983 editions.
He managed the coup in the company of his close friend late Jagmohan Dalmiya and then BCCI chief NKP Salve, and it opened the Indian television market to the new possibilities of cricket marketing.
Bindra, who retired from cricket administration in 2014, also worked as the principal advisor of the International Cricket Council when Sharad Pawar held the president’s post.
Before that in 1994, Bindra had approached the Supreme Court of India to break the monopoly of Doordarshan in cricket broadcasting.
A favourable verdict from the apex court helped Bindra and his team bring global companies like ESPN and TWI to the Indian market, which soon expanded to be the biggest in the world.
However, his official life was not without its share of bitter moments as the support he gave to Lalit Modi after the spot-fixing saga in the IPL earned him his share of brickbats.
Bindra also played a pivotal role in the appointment of Haroon Lorgat as the Cricket South Africa CEO, and that move too did not win him many friends.
But overall, Bindra remained one of the architects of modern Indian cricket from a commercial perspective.