The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday appointed Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS laxman to its newly-constituted Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC). The role of the CAC will be to advice the BCCI on all major cricket-related issues, including improving standards of domestic cricket, national team’s performance on foreign tours.
The decision was announced by BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur after a conference call with the trio on Monday morning. “Areas of immediate focus will be to provide guidance to our national team as we set out to enhance our performance on overseas engagements, provide direction to improve our talent pathway and take steps to strengthen domestic cricket to better prepare our players to handle the rigours of International Cricket,” the BCCI said in a statement on Monday.
“I have just come to know about the committee, rest I don’t know. I don’t even know what is the role of the advisory committee. (But) I am happy to work with Sachin and laxman,” Ganguly said on Monday.
BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, who nominated the committee members, said he was confident about the trio’s ability to take Indian cricket to new heights. “The coming generations are bound to benefit from the guidance that will be provided by these luminaries and will go a long way in strengthening our existing system,” Dalmiya said in a press release.
Thakur echoed the sentiment and thanked the three for accepting the BCCI’s offer. “I am confident that their invaluable advice will help Indian cricket regain its leadership position in all formats of the game,” he said. “Their participation augurs well for the future of the game in our country and the noble intention to ‘give back to the game’, is commendable,” he added.
The immediate goal of the CAC will be to start the process of finding the head coach and the team director for the Indian team. Duncan Fletcher’s contract as head coach has already expired and Ravi Shastri, who had stepped in as team director for six months preceding the conclusion of the World Cup 2015, may not be interested in continuing with his role. In that situation, one of the committee members may join the Indian team on Bangladesh tour later this month.
There had been lot of speculation regarding Ganguly’s appointment as head coach but his appointment as a member of CAC could mean that he is out of the race.
According to BCCI sources, the Indian cricketers can seek technical advise from the trio and the Board wants batsmen to specifically speak to Tendulkar before any tough international assignment.
Ganguly might well be consulted for preparing a blueprint for success of the team overseas with laxman working on the bench-strength and the new talent coming in through the system.
The Indian team will be leaving for Bangladesh on June 7 from Kolkata. Thakur said the Board has identified the areas in which the three former players’ involvement will be sought. “I have identified three four areas, their advice is very important. They have committed themselves to the BCCI. They played so many Test matches for India and their inputs will be very useful in helping us improve our overseas performance,” he said.
The move was also welcomed by IPl Chairman Rajeev Shukla. “This was decided in the previous working committee and it has been implemented now,” he said. Dalmiya said a meeting of the new committee would be called soon to chalk a way forward for Indian cricket.
“Considering the enormous contribution of the three icons, Mr. Sachin Tendulkar, Mr. Sourav Ganguly and Mr. V.V.S. laxman to Indian Cricket and having served the game with supreme proficiency and at the highest levels, it is a proud privilege for the BCCI that they have accorded their consents to be a part of the Cricket Advisory Committee. They would be recognized and acknowledged as ‘Cricket Advisors’ to the Board,” he said.
“We, at the BCCI, are certain that their kind participation would not only add immense value to the Board but would also go a long way in taking Indian Cricket forward. A meeting of the Cricket Advisory Committee would be convened shortly to set the ball rolling,” he added.
With inputs from PTI