MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), at the instance of BCCI-IPL interim president Sunil Gavaskar has appointed Deepak Parekh as his special advisor, for the 2014 season of the Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL). Parekh will be a special invitee to the governing council meetings of the IPL.
Parekh is the chairman of Housing Development Finance Corporation, one of India's leading housing finance company, and is also on the boards of many Indian and international corporates. He also happens to be an avid cricket follower, and his management skills are well documented.
“I am delighted that Deepak has accepted my invitation to come on board as a special advisor and special invitee to the Indian Premier League governing council. It is apt that an individual of the calibre of Parekh will be joining the BCCI-IPL’s leadership group. With a diverse combination of skills and experience, this appointment will result in a well-rounded senior management team at the IPL – one that will set the direction for a better and bigger league,” Gavaskar said in a statement.
Parekh has been dubbed as the unofficial crisis consultant of the government. His role as special director on the Satyam Board in 2009, to revive the company and restore the confidence in the Indian IT industry, was greatly acknowledged. He has always been willing to share his ideas and experience to formulate reform policies across sectors. This, at times, has also meant advising the government to take hard decisions. It is this quality of being a trouble-shooter that has made him a guiding force and an active member of various high-powered economic groups, government-appointed advisory committees and task forces.
“We are pleased to have Deepak Parekh in our team. His expertise will enable us to deliver a memorable IPL," said IPL governing council chairman Ranjib Biswal.
Accepting his appointment, Parekh added: “I am excited to be invited to be a part of the IPL. I look forward to fulfilling this challenging new role on the IPL’s senior leadership team as an advisor to Gavaskar, as we look to strengthen the Indian Premier League.”
The government and industry, impressed by Parekh’s performance and sobriety, have honoured him with several awards. Some of the most important ones are; the Padma Bhushan in 2006, and the “Knight in the Order of the Legion of Honour,” one of the highest distinctions conferred by the French Republic, in 2010. He was the first international recipient of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales’ Outstanding Achievement Award, in 2010.
