A former BCCI selector has claimed that board president Sourav Ganguly regularly attends team selection meetings even though the rules suggest otherwise.
A former BCCI selector has claimed that Board President Sourav Ganguly regularly attends team selection meetings even though the rules suggest otherwise. As per the BCCI constitution, the Board President has no role in the selection meetings; However, a report published by The Indian Express on Friday quoted some former members of the selection committee to claim that Ganguly is in fact present during the Indian team selection meetings.
In fact, one of the former selectors has claimed that Ganguly has attended every selection meeting since taking over as the BCCI President since October 2019, and even though his presence would make many members uncomfortable, no one Couldn't even afford to express displeasure. One member even went as far as to say that Ganguly's involvement in these meetings made him feel 'rascal'.
"Due to his stature and position, no one could object. This made many members of the committee uncomfortable and guarded in expressing their opinion," the selector told The Indian Express on condition of anonymity.
The chapter came to the fore after the turmoil in Indian cricket, most accurately during the Virat Kohli-Sourav Ganguly saga that aired in December last year. Soon after, a picture of Ganguly and several members of the selection committee with Kohli and Rohit Sharma, taken in 2019, started doing the rounds, implying that Ganguly is probably a part of these meetings.
However, when the picture surfaced again last month, Ganguly said: "I don't think I need to answer anyone, anything (on this) and respect any of these baseless allegations. I am of the BCCI. I am the President and I work. What should the President of BCCI do. (I have played 424 international matches for India. Not bad too many times to remind people about it, is it?"
Recently, during the uproar caused by Wriddhiman Saha, the Indian wicketkeeper explained the U-turn taken by Ganguly in the light of the 37-year-old's ouster from the Indian team.
"After scoring 61 against New Zealand in Kanpur, Dadi (Ganguly) congratulated me on WhatsApp and said, 'As long as I am here (handling BCCI), you will be in the team'. Such a message from BCCI President My confidence has really increased. I am struggling to understand how things have changed so fast," Saha told The Indian Express.