Jagmohan Dalmiya's recent elevation to the newly-formed post of patron-in-chief of the Board of Control for Cricket in India after he completes his term as president of the body later this month was on Friday criticised by his one-time confidant Jaywant Lele.
"I don't see the need for this post to be given to someone connected with the game. If at all this post was created it should have gone to some distinguished person not involved with cricket, like the Prime Minister or President," Lele said from Baroda.
The former irrepressible secretary of the Board also gave the example of the Mumbai Cricket Association, whose patron-in-chief is the Governor of Maharashtra.
"Dalmiya has had a long innings with the Board and should have quit the scene gracefully. Yes, I know several units affiliated to the Board voted in his favour, but he very well knows that some of them don't want him, but won't tell that on his face," Lele said.
"He wants to be there and that's why he has accepted to take up the post. Remember when he was the president of the International Cricket Council there was a move within the Board to enable him to attend each and every meeting of the BCCI, but it was shelved in the face of some opposition from within," the former secretary of the Baroda Cricket Association said.
"If they wanted him to advise them on cricket affairs he could have always done so from outside. What could have prevented him from doing so," queried Lele.