Former India captain and current CAB President Sourav Ganguly will take charge as the new BCCI chief on October 23, after being announced as the sole nominee in Mumbai on Monday (October 14). He is the second Indian Test captain to become BCCI President after Maharaja of Vizianagram, who presided over the post from 1954-1957.
The BCCI elections will also take place on October 23 and the former India captain stressed that "getting the house in order" is first on his priority. "I wasn't aware (of my name announcement) until 10:30 pm yesterday. Even when I became a captain in 2000, there were issues going around. It's always great to be looked at as someone who can do things in difficult situations," Ganguly said.
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"This eight-man team, announced by Rajiv Shukla, will try and get BCCI back in order. To be in a position where I can make a difference along with the team would be extremely satisfying. Hopefully in the next few months, we can put everything in place and bring back normalcy in Indian cricket,” he further said.
Ganguly mentioned that focus on First-Class cricket will be his priority and this will start with a manifold increase in the remuneration for the cricketers involved.
"For me, my biggest focus will be first-class cricket. I have been very vocal about looking after the first-class players, especially the time they invest. First-class cricket is the base, the strength. I have written so many times in the last few years that the remunerations need to increase, and increase manifold. So that's going to be a priority to set the FC cricket in order. Look at cricket structure, look how governance happens and see smooth functioning happens with no issues,” the new BCCI president-elect said.
"We have not received money that we deserve from the ICC in the last three-four years. We generate 70-75 percent in revenues. That's one of the agenda, surely," Ganguly said about BCCI’s weakening position in ICC.
About taking up the BCCI President’s post, Ganguly revealed, "I never spoke to anyone, have never expressed that I was keen. 90% of representatives in BCCI at the moment in administration are new. In the current constitution, the way it is framed, a lot of people are tentative even to decide on positions in the BCCI. Because if it's not good enough, if it's not a position you can make a difference, they didn't want to take it. Because they will lose state associations positions."
(Inputs from Cricbuzz.com)
