A Look At Sourav Ganguly's Work As BCCI President In First Week

Sourav Ganguly completed one week as BCCI president on Wednesday (October 30). The former India skipper took over as the board’s supremo on October 23. He had become the first India captain to head the board in 65 years. After taking charge, Sourav Ganguly was quick to point to the similarities in the circumstances under which he became captain and the board president.

Ganguly had become the captain in the wake of the match-fixing scandal and had done a remarkable job. He instilled a winning culture in the Indian team and the nation has been reaping the rewards of that culture. The entire country has the same expectation from Sourav Ganguly as an administrator and the legendary cricketer has started on a very promising note.

In just one week, he has made it clear that he means business as BCCI president. Within a week, the former India skipper has taken several big decisions. So through this article, we are taking a look at what Sourav Ganguly has done in his first week as BCCI president:

4. To meet Rahul Dravid for chalking out road-map:

Just days after taking over, Sourav Ganguly decided to meet his ex-teammate Rahul Dravid who is the head of the National Cricket Academy to discuss the road-map for Indian cricket. In the last few years, the NCA, which was supposed to be the supply line of Indian cricket, has actually become a rehabilitation center. Sourav Ganguly himself admitted the same about the NCA.

3. Vows to make rules simpler in Vijay-Hazare Trophy:

In this year’s, Vijay Hazare Trophy, Mumbai and Punjab were eliminated due to the rules after rain washed out their quarter-finals. Well, Sourav Ganguly noticed the same and said that the board would come up with simpler rules in the future.

“We will assess it, try and make it simpler. The rule was that whoever won more matches went through, which is also a way of saying you give value to your performances in the group stages. So it’s not something which is completely wrong.

Yes, the pertinent point is whether a reserve day could be kept for the knockouts. The quarter-finals, semi-finals are very important, which is a practical thing. So yes, that could be an option, which could be taken. But you must remember, whatever happened, it was as per the basis of rules that were there from the start of the tournament,” said Ganguly.

2. Contract for first-class cricketers:

Even before he had been formally appointed to the position, Ganguly had said that domestic cricket, and cricketers, would be a major area of focus for him in his stint at the BCCI. And he did not waste much time in working over it after becoming the board head. Four days after taking charge, Ganguly said that the board will bring in “a contract system” for first-class cricketers.

“We will bring in a contract system for first-class cricketers,” Ganguly told PTI in an interview. “We (office-bearers) will ask the new finance committee to prepare a contract system.

“It’s just been four-five days [since he took charge] and in between there was a Diwali break. It will take about two weeks to assess everything and move forward. There is a lot of work going on,” he added.

1. Day-night Test:

Despite day-night Test making its debut in international cricket in 2015, India are yet to get a taste of the same. The board and the team were reluctant to try out the new experiment in the game. However, Ganguly, who has said it time and again that day-night Test is the future, did not waste much time in arranging for the country’s first-ever day-night Test. The upcoming second Test against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens will be a day-night affair.