Ganguly remarked that the current state of Indian cricket mirrors the difficult period the sport was going through when he first took over as captain.
At the point when I came in as the India skipper, Indian cricket was experiencing troublesome occasions. It’s a comparable sort of circumstance presently,’ says Ganguly.
Tuesday evening saw Sourav Ganguly receive a lavish welcome at the Cricket Association of Bengal, where the future BCCI chief immediately emphasized that the Board requires a complete systemic overhaul.
On Monday, Ganguly highlighted that tackling conflicts of interest would be his primary focus after officially taking the helm following the October 23 AGM. After being greeted with a festive display of fireworks and flower petals, he explained that a total redesign of the system is necessary, as the current rules prevent experienced people from joining advisory groups.
Ganguly lamented that the 'conflict of interest' issue prevents icons like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Kapil Dev, VVS Laxman, and Zaheer Khan from contributing to the national team. He recalled his previous efforts on the technical committee to bring in Zaheer and Dravid as consultants for Virat Kohli's tours. While Dravid is currently at the NCA and others are occupied with the IPL, Ganguly admitted he is unsure if they can balance those commitments to help the national side.
Ganguly explained on Tuesday that the IPL's demands create a conflict that keeps legendary players away from the national setup. He noted that greats like Sunil Gavaskar, Anil Kumble, Sachin, Laxman, Dravid, and Zaheer—all of whom profoundly shaped Indian cricket—along with players like Harbhajan Singh, remain unavailable specifically because of these competing interests.
When discussing his vision as president, Ganguly compared the current turmoil to the struggles Indian cricket faced during his captaincy. He noted that the organization has been in a state of crisis for the last three years and expressed his eagerness to turn things around. For him, the real value lies in successfully reversing the decline and earning the trust of those who believe he is the right person for the job.