‘Great Opportunity To Do Something As Board’s Image Is Hampered’, Says Ganguly Before Being Elected As BCCI Chief

Sourav Ganguly, who is set to become the new Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president, on Monday (14 October) said “it is a great opportunity for him to do something” as he will try to fix the “hampered image” of the board, The New Indian Express reported.

Former Indian men’s team captain emerged as the only nominee for the top post of BCCI after he pipped Karnataka’s Brijesh Patel in a see-saw battle.

“Obviously, it is 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 is a great opportunity for me to do something good,” he said.

Ganguly’s tenure in the office, however, will only be until July, 2020, due to the compulsory cooling-off period.

Ganguly, who has been one of the most successful Indian cricket captains, said that his first priority would be to better the condition of first class cricket and see that the first class players are paid well. He plans to meet all stakeholders in Indian cricket regarding this.

“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 did not listen. That is the first thing I will do, look after the financial health of our first-class cricketers,” he informed.

He also said that it was a big responsibility for him as India is a big name in world cricket. "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.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah is going to be the new secretary and former BCCI president Anurag Thakur’s brother will be the new treasurer.

Monday is the last day for nomination filing. However, there will be no election as all the candidates have emerged unopposed.