Former BCCI acting secretary, Amitabh Chaudhary passes away

Amitabh Chaudhary, the former BCCI acting secretary and president of Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) passed away from a heart attack on Tuesday morning. He was 58. A retired senior IPS officer, who rose to the rank of IGP with the Jharkhand Police, the former top cop was also the director of Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC).

“Deeply saddened by news of sudden passing away of former JPSC chairman Shri Amitabh Chaudhary. Former IPS officer Amitabh ji played a significant role in development of cricket in the state. May his soul rest in peace and condolences and strength to his family in this hour of grief,”

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren tweeted.

#JPSC के पूर्व अध्यक्ष श्री अमिताभ चौधरी जी के आकस्मिक निधन की दुःखद खबर मिली।
पूर्व IPS अधिकारी अमिताभ जी ने राज्य में क्रिकेट के खेल को बढ़ाने में भी महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाई थी।
परमात्मा दिवंगत आत्मा को शांति प्रदान कर शोक संतप्त परिवार को दुःख की घड़ी सहन करने की शक्ति दे।

— Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) August 16, 2022

An IIT Kharagpur alumnus, Chaudhary was instrumental in getting the first class status for Jharkhand after BCCI disbanded the Bihar Cricket Association during the late Jagmohan Dalmiya’s tenure in the early part of the new millenium.

When Jharkhand got the official FC status, Mahendra Singh Dhoni moved from Bihar and represented the state till the end of his career.

Chaudhary also played a major role in building one of the best cricket stadiums in Ranchi and ought to be viewed as instrumental in bringing international cricket and IPL to the industrial town.

He had also served as a BCCI joint secretary and was an administrative manager with the Indian team on a few occasions.

Shocked to know about sudden demise of former acting secretary of @BCCI & former president of JSCA, Shri Amitabh Choudhary. As an able cricket administrator, he has left his imprint on the game. My condolences to his family & relatives. May his soul rest in peace

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) August 16, 2022

However, his hardest task was the 2005 tour of Zimbabwe, where the much publicised fall out occurred between former captain Sourav Ganguly and afterward coach Greg Chappell.

As a matter of fact, it was during that infamous tour that Chappell had sent the email to BCCI president Sharad Pawar, suggesting exclusion of Ganguly and a large group of other senior players.

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Chaudhary’s acting secretary tenure agreed with Indian cricket’s most obscure administrative period when the Committee of Administrators (CoA) was in control. Chaudhary wasn’t permitted to work by the COA and it frequently led to a lot of acrimony.

However, Chaudhary was a grand raconteur and frequently on the side lines of different BCCI meetings would entertain his crowd with stories that would have everybody in splits.