Former Indian cricket captain and one of the most loved cricketers in India, Sourav Ganguly, has been appointed as the new BCCI president on Monday. He conversed with the media and described this job as “a great opportunity for him to do something good” for the Indian cricket board when it’s image has been tarnished somewhat in the recent times.
Ganguly overcame Brijesh Patel in a see-saw battle and is expected to be the only presidential nominee.
“You need to wait till 3 pm in the afternoon,” Ganguly told PTI.
“Obviously, it’s a great feeling as I have played for the country and captained the country.
“And 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,” said the former Indian captain.
Mr. Ganguly said the top priority for him during his tenure would be that of looking after the “first-class cricketers”.
The 47-year-old is looking forward to meet all the stakeholders in Indian cricket and planning to do something that Committee of Administrators (CoA) didn’t do for 33 months.
“We will speak to everyone first as we take a decision but my biggest priority will be to look after first class cricketers. I had requested that to the CoA for three years and they didn’t listen. That’s the first thing I will do, look after the financial health of our first-class cricketers,” said Ganguly, who captained India to many memorable wins.
“Whether unopposed or not, there has to be responsibility as it is the biggest organisation in world cricket. Financially, India is a cricketing powerhouse, so it will be a challenge,” he said.
So will it be different from captaincy of Indian side? Ganguly replied, “Nothing can beat being an India captain.”
