Board of Control for Cricket in India president Sharad Pawar has said he would not contest the Cricket Board elections after his current term ends as he wants to help the game in a different way.
"After this tenure is over, I shall not take this responsibility. After this two-year tenure, I shall aid the game and other members," said Pawar currently serving his second term in the high-profile job.
Asked why he agreed to head the sports body when he was already actively involved in politics, he said, "I agreed to contest after requests from many people to take up the responsibility of BCCI.
"When I first stood the elections in 2004, I lost. I had only one problem at that time. The bowler and the umpire were the same. And when you have an umpire-bowler combination, you are bound to lose your wicket. I lost my wicket," he told a weekly chat show programme of BBC Hindi, referring to his adversary Jagmohan Dalmiya.
"In the next elections, we prepared ourselves and won with unprecedented margins. And in recent elections, I won unopposed."
Pawar stoutly defended coach Greg Chappell.
"He has worked as a coach, this impression has been given by all the players. I have spoken to all players many times and all have said his performance is good because he has helped improve their game quality."
On whether Chappell's contract would be extended beyond the World Cup in March-April next year, he said, "it will be difficult to speak on his contract because this is the Board's decision in the end."
