Former India skipper Mohammed Azharuddin on Friday (October 25) endorsed newly-elected BCCI president Sourav Ganguly’s idea of staging Day-Night Tests.

Ganguly has been vocal about India playing Test cricket under lights to pull spectators to the stands. And after taking charge as BCCI boss, he discussed the same with Virat Kohli and the current Indian captain was open to the suggestion.

“It is good if captain is agreeable like Dada. It is a good experiment. You will get to know if public will like it or not. It should be implemented,” Azharuddin said during Ganguly’s felicitation ceremony by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) at Eden Gardens.

Azhar, who was Ganguly’s first international captain, also expects the latter to play his new role on his own terms.

“I am very happy Ganguly has become the BCCI president. He’s one of the finest persons and an outstanding human being. One of the best players we won so many tournaments. He played cricket in his terms and as BCCI president too I hope he will play that on his term also,” he said.

Azharuddin boasts an outstanding record at the Eden Gardens as batsman. The stylish right-hander had smashed five Test centuries at the iconic venue. No wonder, the Hyderabad Cricket Association president quipped that he is number two in terms of popularity in Kolkata

“With the advent of Ganguly, I have become number two, because he is the local boy here. Then after that Laxman came,” he said in a lighter vein standing on the dias with Ganguly and Laxman by his side.

Azhar also thanked the people of Bengal for their constant love and support.  

“Whenever I come to Eden Gardens, I have no words to say. People really love me here. When I first played for India, I thought people loved me more in Bengal. I thank the people of Bengal from bottom of my heart. They have rallied around me during the good and bad times. I thought I gave a little bit of joy. I got more from people of Bengal,” he concluded.

(With PTI inputs)