Roger Binny

Roger Michael Humphrey Binny (born 19 July 1955) is a former Indian cricketer who is the 36th and incumbent president of Board of Control for Cricket in India. He was the president of Karnataka State Cricket Association from 2019 to 2022.^[1] Binny was part of the India Team that won the 1983 Cricket World Cup and the 1985 World Championship of Cricket, being India's highest wicket taker in both tournaments. He was also the head coach of the Indian U-19 team that won the 2000 Under-19 Cricket World Cup and has served as a national selector. He has also worked as a developmental officer in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). The Indian team won the T20 World Cup 2024 when Binny was the President of BCCI.

Roger Binny
Binny in 2018
36th President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India
Incumbent
Assumed office 18 October 2022
Preceded by	Sourav Ganguly
President of the Karnataka State Cricket Association
In office 3 October 2019 – 18 October 2022
Personal details
Born	Roger Michael Humphrey Binny (1955-07-19) 19 July 1955 (age 69) Bangalore, Mysore State, India
Relations	Stuart Binny (son) Mayanti Langer (daughter-in-law)
Occupation	Cricketer; cricket administrator
Cricket information
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm fast-medium
Role	All-rounder
International information
National side	India (1979-1987)
Test debut (cap 148)	21 November 1979 v Pakistan
Last Test	13 March 1987 v Pakistan
ODI debut (cap 30)	6 December 1980 v Australia
Last ODI	9 October 1987 v Australia
Head coaching information
Years	Team
2000	India U-19
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI Matches 27 72 Runs scored 830 629 Batting average 23.06 16.13 100s/50s 0/5 0/1 Top score 83 57 Balls bowled 2,870 2,957 Wickets 47 77 Bowling average 32.64 29.35 5 wickets in innings 2 0 10 wickets in match 0 0 Best bowling 8/101 4/29 Catches/stumpings 11/– 12
Medal record Men's Cricket Representing  India ICC Cricket World Cup Winner 1983 England and Wales ACC Asia Cup Winner 1984 United Arab Emirates Representing  India as Coach ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup Winner 2000 Sri Lanka
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 13 April 2023

Family and background

Roger Binny was born in Bengaluru (Karnataka formerly the Mysuru State). Binny is the first Anglo-Indian of Scottish origin who played cricket for India.^[2] His son, Stuart Binny, followed in his footsteps, having played state cricket for the Karnataka cricket team and international cricket for the India national cricket team. He also represented Karnataka in the Irani Trophy, a tournament between the champions of the Ranji Trophy and a team comprising the best players from other Indian states. He was on the verge of playing for the Indian national team during his college years.^[1][3]

Playing career

Roger Binny is best known for his impressive bowling performance in the 1983 Cricket World Cup, in which he was the highest wicket-taker (18 wickets), and in the 1985 World Series Cricket Championship in Australia where he repeated this feat (17 wickets).^[4]

Binny made his test cricket debut at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore against Pakistan, in the first test of the 1979 series. Against the bowling line-up of Imran Khan and Sarfraz Nawaz, Binny proved to be a versatile allrounder, scoring 46 runs in a drawn match.^[5] Binny would turn into a useful test match bowler, taking India to victory with his seven wickets in a match against England at Headingley in 1986, and with a spell of 4 for 9 in 30 balls, as a part of his best Test figures of 6 for 56, against Pakistan in Calcutta in 1987. His Test career was not stellar, but he and fellow Pace bowler Karsan Ghavri helped get the shine off the new ball before India's spinner could take over.^[6]

Binny, Ghavri (along with wicket-keeper Syed Kirmani), and Madan Lal were also credited with saving many test matches with his aggressive rear-guard actions, helping avert innings defeats. Binny would rescue India with an unbeaten 83 in a record seventh-wicket partnership of 155 with Madan Lal against Pakistan in Bangalore in 1983. Tall and athletically built, Binny was also an excellent fielder.^[7]

Binny was generally in and out of the Indian team but proved his value in the English conditions of the 1983 Cricket World Cup, where along with Madan Lal, and under the leadership of Kapil Dev, he helped India win its first World Cup title with a record 18 wickets.^[8][9]

Coaching career and media

Binny coached the India national under-19 cricket team to victory at the 2000 Under-19 Cricket World Cup held in Sri Lanka in January 2000. Mohammed Kaif and Yuvraj Singh from this team would go on to have distinguished careers with the senior cricket team. Two years later, he went into the grassroots to coach the Under-16s and played a key role in the emergence of young players such as Ambati Rayudu, Robin Uthappa, and Irfan Pathan.

Administration

Binny served in the Karnataka State Cricket Association management until he was appointed national selector in September 2012.^[10] Binny would recuse himself from selection matters involving his son Stuart Binny but resigned from his position in 2015 during the Lodha Committee inquiry because of "perception than propriety" according to Sunil Gavaskar.^[3]

He was elected unopposed as the president of BCCI on 18 October 2022, succeeding Saurav Ganguly.^[11][12]

In popular culture

Bollywood Director Kabir Khan has made a sports drama film named 83 about India's first World Cup win in 1983 at Lord's, in which Nishant Dahiya plays the role of Roger Binny.^{[13][14][15][16]}

See also

• Sport in India - Sporting culture overview of India
• 1983 Cricket World Cup Final

Bibliography

• Sundaresan, P.N. "India's Internationals Keen to be Tested", ABC Cricket Book: New Zealand, India in Australia 1980-81, ed. McGilvray, A., Australian Broadcasting Commission: Sydney. ISBN 0 642 97549 3.

References

1. "A man of many hats, new BCCI president Roger Binny braces for new innings".
2. Archived 15 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
3. "Roger Binny: a cricketer, a gentleman and 'Ajaatshatru'". The Times of India. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
4. "From World Cup-winning all-rounder to BCCI president, life comes a full circle for Binny". www.daijiworld.com. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
5. Sundaresan, p. 36.
6. "Roger Binny Overview". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
7. "Roger Binny Overview". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
8. "St Joseph's Indian Institutions, Bangalore". www.sjiibangalore.com. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
9. "Roger Binny Overview". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
10. "Sandeep Patil named chief selector, Amarnath dropped". NDTV. 27 September 2012. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
11. Bureau, The Hindu (18 October 2022). "Roger Binny elected 36th BCCI President, replaces Sourav Ganguly". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 18 October 2022. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
12. "Roger Binny elected 36th BCCI president". HT. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
13. "83: Ranveer Singh and his squad start shooting for the sports drama". 6 June 2019.
14. "Ranveer Singh's co-star Nishant Dahiya impressed '83 team with his first ball itself". 27 April 2019.
15. "निशांत दहिया, रणवीर सिंह की '83 में रोजर बिन्नी की निभाएंगे भूमिका".
16. "83 Film: फेमस ऑल-राउंडर रोजर बिन्नी के किरदार में निशांत दहिया का पोस्टर आउट". 17 January 2020.