Ganguly poised to become BCCI chief

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly is poised to take over as the president of the country's cricket board as nominations close on Monday for elections to the game's wealthiest and most powerful body.

Ganguly, 47, emerged as the only candidate for the top post after a meeting in Mumbai, a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) source told AFP.

One of the most successful national captains in the sport, Ganguly retired from Test cricket in 2008 having accumulated 7,212 runs.

Last month he was reelected president of the Cricket Association of Bengal.

Brijesh Patel, a former India batsman and experienced administrator, is likely to become chairman of the Indian Premier League, the board's lucrative Twenty20 competition. Jay Shah, son of India's home minister Amit Shah, is tipped for the secretary's post.

Monday is the last day for filing nominations before BCCI elections are held on October 23.

Cricket's massive popularity in India has helped the BCCI become the wealthiest of all of the sport's national boards, racking in large sums of money from sponsorship and TV deals.

But it has also been embroiled in legal battles and a series of scandals, including accusations of corruption and match-fixing in the IPL.

Ganguly told the Press Trust of India news agency on Monday that his priority as president would be to polish BCCI's image.

"I am taking over at a time when BCCI has not been in greatest of position for the last three years. Its image has got hampered quite a lot. It's a great opportunity for me to do something good," he said.

"Financially, India is a cricketing powerhouse, so it will be a challenge," Ganguly added. India, the world's number one- ranked Test team, is currently playing a home Test series against South Africa.