Dalmiya wins unopposed

Jagmohan Dalmiya, who turned India into cricket's financial powerhouse before being unceremoniously dumped by his peers, returned as board president Monday in place of the sport's scandal-hit global supremo.

Dalmiya was elected unopposed as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as part of a deal which observers say will allow the embattled incumbent Narayanaswami Srinivasan to stay on as head of the International Cricket Council.

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"Jagmohan Dalmiya has been elected as the president of BCCI," Gokaraju Gangaraju, vice-president of the board told AFP by phone.

The election caps a remarkable comeback for Dalmiya, who helped bring about a massive expansion in the BCCI's financial muscle in the 1980s and 90s by negotiating mega television deals before being ousted a decade ago over allegations of misappropriation of funds.

His return was made possible after Srinivasan's camp mobilised to thwart another former BCCI president, Sharad Pawar.

Pawar had been angling for a return but failed to persuade any regional association to nominate him.

Srinivasan had been forced to stand aside after the Supreme Court found him guilty of a conflict of interest over his ownership of a team in the Indian Premier League, the BCCI's money-spinning Twenty20 tournament.

His position had become increasingly precarious ever since his son-in-law was accused of betting on matches involving the Chennai Super Kings.