Karim banks on corporate experience for BCCI's GM role

Saba Karim, the newly appointed General Manager of Cricket Operations at the BCCI, has previously worked in the corporate communications division of the Tata Iron and Steel Company Limited (TISCO)—now known as Tata Steel.

New Delhi: Former India cricketer Saba Karim in New Delhi. Photo:Sushil Kumar Verma

From making his presence felt behind the stumps at the international arena to picking the Indian squad as a national selector, Syed Saba Karim has seen it all in his career.

READ:  BCCI appoints Saba Karim as GM, Cricket Operations

And now, as he gears up for his new responsibility as the General Manager, Cricket Operations, at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the former wicketkeeper-batsman admits that his ‘fair amount of experience’ at the corporate world would help him in his new job, which is more of a managerial role.

“I have a bit of corporate experience and that should help,” Karim told  Sportstar  on Saturday.

Karim has previously worked in the corporate communications division of the Tata Iron and Steel Company Limited (TISCO)—now known as Tata Steel.

The position of BCCI’s General Manager, Cricket Operations, was vacant after the late Dr. M. V. Sridhar quit earlier this year. And Karim, who will take charge from January 1, is looking forward to the new role. “There’s exciting road ahead. I look forward to taking up the new assignment. The goal would always be to take Indian cricket to greater heights,” Karim, who will report to BCCI CEO, Rahul Johri, and assist him in meeting the Board’s vision and strategy, said.

Karim represented India in a lone Test and 34 ODIs in a career spanning close to 18 years.

But being into the cricketing side of things for all these years, how different would the transformation be?

Karim, however, says he will be able to spot the difference once he takes charge. “I can answer only after I join the job at the workplace, and once I learn how the dynamics work. Generally, there is an exciting time ahead and I look forward to the new job profile. I will try my best,” Karim said.

Considered one of the sharpest cricketing brains of the country, Karim’s playing career received an untimely jolt when he suffered an injury to his right eye in the Asia Cup in Bangladesh in 2000, following which he had to undergo a surgery.

Later, he was chosen as a national selector from the East Zone in 2012. Now, with another big role coming his way, Karim is looking forward to take Indian cricket to greater heights.