Sourav brushes aside speculations on joining politics, says reforming BCCI priority
Kolkata: Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President-elect Sourav Ganguly, while addressing media in Kolkata on Tuesday, said, for him, it is important that India gets back to its position in cricket since it is the powerhouse of the game and brushed off speculations on joining politics.
"It is important that India gets back to where it is in cricket. India is a big powerhouse in cricket and should get due respect," he said.
Ganguly said his first priority is to make Indian cricket administration a lot cleaner.
"I am here to do a job for everyone and make Indian cricket clean administration wise. First-class players need to be looked after...their salaries...their games," said he.
On speculation about him joining politics, Ganguly said: " I have seen the tweet of Mr. Amit Shah yesterday. I have heard this political question before also when I met Mamata didi the Chief Minister and you have seen the results," he said brushing aside his possibility of joining politics.
Speaking about running the administration of cricket, the former India skipper said: "Things will not be rosy every time. When you are at the top, there is bound to be all these. It is tough but people believe you are good enough to do it."
Ganguly also said the performance of the Indian team is good but they need to win more big tournaments.
"They need to win big tournaments. I am not saying they would win every time... that's not possible but we've gone through seven big tournaments without any win. That's an issue Virat needs to address and that doesn't happen in the boardroom," said he.
"I cannot contribute much on the field because what happens in the field happens in the field," he added.
On cricketing ties with Pakistan, he said: "You have to ask that question to Modi-ji."
Ganguly, who has been unanimously nominated as the presidential candidate of the BCCI, will take charge of his post on Oct 23.
After filing his nomination on Monday, Ganguly, who is presently the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president, said his priority will be bringing back normalcy in the BCCI and looking after first class cricketers.
In a dramatic turn of events on Sunday night, as several media reports said, Ganguly emerged as the consensus candidate to become the next BCCI chief, surpassing former Indian cricket board president N Srinivasan's candidate Brijesh Patel.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah's son Jay Shah has assumed the post of BCCI secretary.
Ganguly, who steered the Indian cricket as the skipper from the dark days of match-fixing in early 21st century, can remain the BCCI head till Sept 2020 as he will go to the mandatory cooling off period for three years.
As per the new rules, one can remain in an administrative post for six years at a go.
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