Days after Sourav Ganugly’s appointment as the 39th president of BCCI, India head coach Ravi Shastri said the move is an indication that Indian cricket is going towards the right direction. Ganguly and Shastri had their own share of differences in the past but both seemed to have buried that for good. After taking over as BCCI president, Ganguly too had made it clear that there was no question of thinking about removing Shastri from the coaching job as Team India has done exceedingly well under him. Shastri, on Friday, returned the favour by welcoming Ganguly in his new role.
“My heartiest congratulations to Sourav for taking over as the BCCI president. His appointment is an indication that Indian cricket is moving in the right direction,” Shastri told reporters.
“He’s always been a natural leader. When someone like him — who already dipped his feet into cricket administration four or five years ago — takes over as president of the BCCI, it’s a win-win for Indian cricket.
“These are difficult times for the Board and there’s a lot of work to do to bring BCCI back on the path of glory. I wish him all the best in his stint,” he added.
Shastri also backed Ganguly’s view of BCCI getting its dues from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Ganguly, who was formally elected as BCCI’s 39th president on Wednesday, said that BCCI is supposed to get $372 million from ICC in the next five-year cycle.
“I’ve always believed you need to bring something to the table to take something away from the table and in that, we know what India’s contribution is,” Shastri said.
“Now, the question we should be asking ourselves is ‘Is India getting a fair return for what it brings to the table?’ I don’t think so, and in that, I guess lies the answer. I’m pretty confident our administration is now in capable hands and they know what to do,” he added.
The India head coach also went on to reveal that he has been in regular touch with new NCA chief Rahul Dravid.
“The NCA is the most important institution in BCCI and you need it to be in the best possible functioning mode at all times. It is the ultimate preparatory school. With someone like Rahul Dravid at the helm there, I expect no less. We’ve been communicating a lot and I’m sure good things are waiting to happen.”
“With Sourav as president and Rahul at NCA, what better combination can Indian cricket ask for?” he added.
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