ICA elections: Vengsarkar, Shubhangi Kulkarni, Ojha get key positions

New Delhi, Oct 29 (IANS) Former Indian cricketers -- Dilip Vengsarkar, Shubhangi Dattatraya Kulkarni and Pragyan Ojha -- got key positions after the Indian Cricketers Association (ICA) election, which concluded on Saturday.

The trio were elected as the ICA representatives to the Apex Council of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Governing Council of the Indian Premier League (IPL) respectively.

Vengsarkar beat outgoing ICA president Ashok Malhotra virtually by a landslide margin of 172 votes, having polled 402 votes to 230 for the vanquished, during the e-voting held over three days.

"I am thankful to all the former cricketers for reposing their faith in me. I will strive hard for their welfare and will ensure a close and strong relationship between former players and the BCCI," Vengsarkar was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

The 66-year old, who played 116 Tests and was also a member of the 1983 World Cup-winning side, replaces Anshuman Gaekwad, who had been the ICA representative to the Apex Council for the previous three years.

As per the BCCI constitution, the Apex Council has to have representatives from men and women cricketers.

Shubhangi Kulkarni will be the woman representative, having replaced Shantha Rangasawamy (elected unopposed) in the council. Kulkarni served as secretary of the Women's Cricket Association of India before women's cricket was brought under the BCCI umbrella in 2006.

Meanwhile, the 36-year old Ojha, a sitting member of the IPL Governing Council, beat former Hyderabad batsman Vijay Mohan Raj by 162 votes (396-234) to retain his place.

Outgoing male representative Gaekwad was elected unopposed as the ICA president. Rangaswamy and Yajurvindra Singh were elected as ICA member representatives and will serve as directors on the ICA board. Hitesh Majmudar and V. Krishnaswamy were elected ICA secretary and treasurer respectively.