India head coach Ravi Shastri has congratulated Sourav Ganguly as the latter became the 39th BCCI president on Wednesday (October 23) after serving as Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president for four years.
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As per Shastri, Indian cricket will move in the right direction with Ganguly’s appointment as BCCI boss since the former skipper has a vast experience in administration.
"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 The Times of India.
"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.
After taking charge as BCCI president, Ganguly made it clear that he will ensure the Indian board gets its dues from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Ganguly, who became the second India captain to hold this top position, said that BCCI is supposed to get $372 million from cricket’s governing body in the next five-year cycle.
“India is supposed to get $372m from the ICC in the five-year cycle. It is heavy at the backend as we have the two World Cups then. We will make sure we get it,” he had told reporters at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Supporting Sourav Ganguly’s firm stance over ICC’s revenue sharing model, Shastri said: "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."
"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 continued.
Shastri believes nurturing the youngsters at National Cricket Academy (NCA) is key for the betterment of Indian cricket and thus it needs 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 stated.
