Even as Board of Control for Cricket in India president designate Sourav Ganguly returned to Kolkata amid a grand welcome the former Cricket India captain said there was no politics to be read into his getting nominated as the boss of Indian cricket.
Soon after landing at the NSI Airport the cricketing southpaw said, “there was no political pressure on me; neither is there any political deal,” behind his getting the priced post. When asked as to whether he saw a shinning political future ahead of him particularly after the 2021 Bengal Assembly elections, he remained non-committal saying “there was no talk with anyone on my political future.”
Incidentally hours before being tipped off to be the first cricketer to become a BCCI president Ganguly had a brief meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah which many critic saw as a prelude to his becoming the Board president.
On whether there was any offer from any political bench for him he said “there is nothing wrong if any politician wants good people to join politics. There is nothing wrong if Mr Amit Shah or Mamata Didi want good people to join their parties.”
On his future chemistry with BCCI secretary designate Jay Shah he said “Jay and I have been very good friends.
Both of us are young and both of us have experience and both of us want to do something for the Indian cricket. So it will be a great inning for both of us. There will not be lack of any effort … whether I will be successful or not I can’t say but I can say that I will work to the best of my capability for the cause of Indian cricket.”
Dwelling on his priorities as the BCCI chief he said “my first priority is the whole lot of first class cricketers. It is this pool of cricketers from where the top payers emerge. But the remaining lot of first class cricketers gets very little for them. So it will be my first priority to do something for them. We will work collectively and change their lives.”