Dalmiya was instrumental in bringing South Africa back to international cricket: CSA

Ahead of their country’s historic 72-day tour to India, Cricket South Africa condoled the sudden demise of BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, who passed away in Kolkata on Sunday night. “We knew that he was not in good health in the last while but it has nevertheless come as a shock to all of us and I extend the sympathy of the CSA community to his family, friends and cricketing colleagues and indeed to the entire Indian cricket community,” said CSA president Chris Nenzani. “The fact that he served two terms as president of the BCCI and was also president of the ICC speaks volumes both about his love for the game and the strong leadership he was able to provide. Mr. Dalmiya was the man who proposed our re-entry as a Full Member of the ICC and he played a major role right to the end to ensure our relationship with the BCCI will remain strong and steadfast,” he added. [caption id=“attachment_1687369” align=“alignright” width=“380”]  File image of Jagmohan Dalmiya. Getty Images[/caption] CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat, said: “Mr. Dalmiya will never be forgotten in South African cricket circles for being instrumental in welcoming us back into the international cricket fold and for extending in 1991 that historic invitation to the United Cricket Board to make possible the Proteas first ever tour abroad to India. “I always felt good around Mr. Dalmiya and I will never forget his warm words during my own difficult times. He was a special person and South Africans have much to be grateful to him for the strong relationship he cultivated between the two countries. The upcoming Freedom Trophy should be a special tribute to him.,” he said. “CSA salutes him as an iconic administrator and a wonderful servant of the game,” Lorgat added. BCCI on Sunday said the cricketing fraternity will miss the veteran administrator of the game dearly. “On behalf of all the members of BCCI, I wish to submit our condolences to the bereaved family of Mr. Dalmiya. As a visionary and a father figure of Indian cricket, Mr. Dalmiya worked towards the development of the game of cricket in India. The cricketing fraternity will miss him dearly,” BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said in a statement. “Mr. Dalmiya played a significant part in positioning Indian cricket at the global level and the astute administrator in him, guided Indian cricket to greater heights. His untiring efforts will be remembered for generations to come and his contribution to Indian cricket will remain unparalleled,” he added. The International Cricket Council (ICC) also joined in paying tributes, saying “cricket has has lost a very experienced and seasoned administrator” in him. “The ICC is shocked to hear Mr. Dalmiya’s passing away. He was an ICC president whose contributions to the ICC, BCCI and world cricket are meritorious. With Mr. Dalmiya’s death, cricket has lost a very experienced and seasoned administrator,” the ICC said in a statement to PTI. Dalmiya, one of cricket’s most influential administrators who will be remembered for bringing money into the game, is survived by his wife Chadralekha, daughter Vaishali and son Abhishek. Dalmiya, who was admitted to hospital few days back after he complained of chest pain, passed away at a city hospital this evening following a massive cardiac arrest. The 75-year-old Dalmiya was admitted to the city’s B M Birla Hospital on Thursday night after which he also underwent a coronary angiography. Dalmiya has not been keeping well for a while now and was not actively taking part in the day-to-day functioning of the BCCI. Dalmiya took over the reins of the BCCI for a second time in March, after a gap of 10 years, when he got a walkover in the elections. But he has been ailing since then, and his health has deteriorated further over the last few weeks. With inputs from PTI