NEW DELHI: Even as the cricket telecast issue is being debated and argued in the court, another twist to the Indian cricket story is being given with a heavyweight politician from Maharashtra, Sharad Pawar, throwing his hat in the ring for the presidentship of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

Pawar dropped hints to journalists today that he's not averse to fighting for the top cricket post, but surprisingly ruled out any differences between the Bharatiya Janata party's Arun Jaitley, another contender from the BCCI for the post being vacated by board supremo Jagmohan Dalmiya.

In fact, political sources in Delhi indicate that if it comes down to the crunch, Jaitley may well support Pawar's candidature for the BCCI presidentship just to get even with Dalmiya, who, according to the sources, had promised Jaitley the post when he vacated
it. Because Pawar would not be pliable, as Dalmiya is hoping a future president would be, Jaitley may support his candidature, the sources said.

Pawar is also the president of Mumbai Cricket Association. The election to the post of BCCI president will be held on 29 September in Kolkata.

DALMIYA'S ELEVATION TO PATRON-IN-CHIEF: BCCI SEEKS DISMISSAL OF CHALLENGE

In a related development, the the board today questioned the locus standi of a petitioner who has challenged the legality of a proposal to appoint Dalmiya as BCCI's patron-in-chief. The cricket board has sought dismissal of the petition, filed before a local court in Bhopal, the capital of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

Member of ad hoc Bhopal Divisional Cricket Association (BDCA) and petitioner Yogesh Khattar, was not an office-bearer of the BCCI and nowhere concerned with passing of the resolution, BCCI advocates contended.