Gambhir Hopes Ganguly Can Get More Than 10 Months As BCCI President

Coming out in support of Ganguly via his column in The Times of India, Gambhir stressed on the need for having individuals like 'Dada' in Indian cricket administration for a longer duration.

Cricket turned politician Gautam Gambhir is of the firm opinion that his former colleague and BCCI President Sourav Ganguly needs an extension to his current tenure of 10 months at the helm of Indian cricket. Coming out in support of Ganguly via his column in The Times of India, Gambhir stressed on the need for having individuals like Ganguly in Indian cricket administration for a longer duration.

“Personally speaking, I am not a big fan of cooling-off period for office-bearers. I have said this before and I will say it again that Indian cricket needs individuals like Sourav Ganguly.  They not only have minds of their own but they also have vision and ability to lead inclusive growth. Besides, he knows his weaknesses better than his strengths and knows how to work on them. It will be a shame if Dada has to leave after 10 months. At the same time, I am not suggesting to undo the fantastic work done by Lodha Committee,” Gambhir wrote in his column.

Gambhir also mentioned that he wouldn’t want to see another round of ‘courtroom deliberations’ as the BCCI is looking in to ways and means of extending the tenure of the recently elected office bearers. “There is a lot of talk about ways and means being discussed to extend the tenure of newly-elected BCCI office-bearers. The agenda circulated for the December 1 AGM of the board clearly suggests that we haven’t heard the last on this matter. The voice from the Lodha camp is that this will be “ridiculing Supreme Court”. This is understandable considering the efforts that the RM Lodha Committee had put in to suggest reforms for the BCCI constitution. I hope we are not heading for another episode of courtroom deliberations,” Gambhir wrote. BCCI is slated to have its next Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Dec 1 where the apex cricket body would look to amend major clauses in the Justice RM Lodha Committee report for the cricket body’s reforms. The agenda for the AGM on December 1, circulated to its units, proposes amendments to key clauses in BCCI’s new statute, drawn up on the basis of the Lodha report and approved by the Supreme Court. It is seen as a bid to remove the ‘cooling-off’ period, to allow president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah—their terms are now to 10 months—get a full term.