Johannesburg : Former South Africa captain Ali Bacher paid rich tributes to late BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, describing him as a smart businessman, who made India the financial powerhouse of world cricket.
Dalmiya died on Sunday night at the age of 75.
“I was very close to him in the early 1990s. I never met anybody who was so persistent in getting other administrators to support his point of view. He was a smart businessman and he was the start of creating an India as the financial powerhouse of world cricket it is now,” Bacher was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
Bacher also termed Dalmiya, who served as the former president of the ICC as well, the ultimate Bengal tiger. “He never understood the word no. He was the ultimate Bengal tiger,” Bacher said.
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I have never met anybody who was so persistent in getting other to support his point of view. He was also a smart businessman- Ali Bacher, Former South Africa captain
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Bacher said Dalmiya was instrumental in South Africa’s re-admission into the International Cricket Council and he also ensured that the country was back on the cricketing field.
“In the early part of 1991, we must have spoken 25 times and we had developed a good relationship. He had received support in the BCCI to propose South Africa’s return at the scheduled June meeting,” recalled Bacher.
The former skipper said after some little hiccup, South Africa were accepted back into international cricket.
“At that meeting we were accepted back into international cricket. We weren’t looking for an immediate return to the playing field, we just wanted to be part of the big family,” Bacher revealed.
