It is an understatement but the fact is that the tenure of Ganguly was disappointing. I like so many diehard fans in this country, expected a lot of changes when Ganguly became the president. I really thought that with a former captain at the helm, a successful one at that and a captain who steered the team into safety zones from the dark times of the match fixing saga, Indian cricket will finally be run by the men and women who matter. The players. I must say that it was a wonderful opportunity to change the way the board functions but it was a golden opportunity that was missed.
His failure to water down IPL
Well, yes, IPL is here to stay. BCCI’s main source of revenue is the IPL. It will be insane to expect Ganguly to stop IPL. On the otherhand, he could have effected a lot of changes to IPL. Ever since the first edition, the Indian players have forgotten that there was something called as off-season. This was a time when they will be able to take their minds of the game, spend time with their family and friends, travel, relax and work on their shortcomings. The months of April, May & June are generally not allotted for the game because of the oppressive and stifling heat throughout the country. It takes a heavy toll on the body. Not for the BCCI. Afterall, they are not the ones who will be on the field.
Ganguly must have ensured that the IPL is shifted to the regular season thereby not only preventing the players from the heat of the summer months but he could have given the players the much needed off-season. Instead, he has expanded the IPL to 10 teams. This means additional games which will take an even heavier toll on the body. No wonder, players like Bumrah, Rohit, Kumar and a few others are injured when they had to play for the nation.
Facilities in the grounds remains the same
If you visit any ground in the country, you can see the filthy state of the stadium. Back in the 80s and 90s, most of the stadiums were dusty, ugly with lots and lots of cobwebs. The bathrooms were shabby. Spectators were made to sit on the hard concrete with everyone sitting on each other’s lap. 20 years on, things have remained the same. Probably, a couple of grounds are good but the majority is still the same. Hard concrete is replaced with seats but there is no armrest. If cinema halls can have armrests, why can’t cricket stadiums?
The Kohli controversy
First, you have Ganguly who informed the press that as soon as Kohli informed the board of his decision to leave the T20 captaincy, he called Kohli and requested him to continue to which Kohli did not agree. Now, Kohli has revealed that he was never requested to continue and then when he informed his decision it was welcomed as progressive.
“When I decided to leave the T20I captaincy and approached the BCCI about my decision, it was received well – there was no offence or hesitation, I wasn’t told to reconsider it”
Kohli not informed about ODI captaincy
Second, Kohli says that he was never informed of the board’s decision before he was replaced as the ODI skipper. Agreed that Kohli has never won an ICC tournament but he has done enough to be afforded this courtesy. He was informed but as an afterthought by the chief selector Chetan Sharma. Certainly, Kohli or for that matter, every captain deserves more. I am not for one moment advocating Kohli to be reinstated. Far from it. He has had his chances and it is time to move on but Kohli must have been informed before taking the decision. It wasn’t even necessary to consult with him. Just information.
“I was contacted one-and-a-half hours before the selection meeting on December 8 for the Test series,” Kohli said of the communication (or lack of it) with the BCCI on the ODI captaincy. “There was no prior communication to me at all from when I announced the T20I captaincy decision until the eighth (of December) where, as I said, I got a call one-and-a-half hours before the selection meeting.
Kohli never asked for time off
Third, the controversy over Kohli’s unavailability for the South African ODIs. Kohli has now said that he never asked for a break. It does make sense because he had just taken a break albeit for about 2 weeks during the New Zealand series. I don’t think he would have wanted one more break. Especially now that the captaincy has been changed. Kohli has since then clarified that nothing can derail him from playing for the country.
All of these points to gross mismanagement on the part of the board. This will have to stop somewhere. The board president who is in the news all the time will have to answer questions related to the board. Why are the stadiums so shabby? What about the plight of the paying spectators that is so horrible? Why are the players made play until their body is broken? What is the point of all the meaningless games that are scheduled? Why aren’t the players getting enough time to rest, recuperate and practice on their shortcomings? However, Ganguly will have none of it. He talks to the media which is not really in his purview.
The innumerable and needless Ganguly statements
Just before the T20 World Cup, he said that India will make it 13-0 at the World Cups. What happened after that we all know. Previously, he had said that Indian players are much hardened than the English or Australians and they are not really bothered about the bio-bubble. However, the fact of the matter is that the Indian players do feel the pressure of the bubble but they are now showing it because of the obvious fear for the all powerful board. Then the Virat Kohli controversy where he said that he requested Kohli not to resign the T20 captaincy but he didn’t oblige. Now the latest where he has said that Kohli fights a lot. This is an unwarranted comment. You are rubbishing the national captain to the media.
Ganguly has also revealed that Laxman courted the Indian team coaching role that eventually went to Dravid. Ofcourse, Laxman is well within his rights to ask for it but it is not correct for the board president to reveal the same.
Ganguly must learn the art of discretion. He has a long way to travel on that front. He must leave matters of cricket to the selectors and to the team. Ganguly has a bigger role in Indian cricket that of being the board president. It will be better if he concentrates on his duties rather than poking his nose on everything.
Ganguly’s international player status unutilised
All of these goes to show that irrespective of whether the president of the board is a distinguished former international cricketer and that too a successful captain of an international team, if your heart is not in the right place, there is absolutely no point in having such a person of repute as the president. The same applies to Ganguly.
I would rather prefer a Srinivasan or a Shanshank Manohar as the president whose only motive is money rather than have someone like Ganguly of whom a lot was expected in terms of good preparation for any away series, better pay structure for the first class players, much freer commentators, selectors based purely on merit and performance and credibility of the team given top priority but absolutely nothing has been achieved.
Wrapping up the tenure of Ganguly was disappointing
There were a couple of good things. Increasing the payment for all the first class players and the announcement of the WIPL. However, it remains to be seen whether the WIPL will really go ahead because if past matters are anything to go by, when the women cricketers received their income from the ODI World Cup a full one year after the completion of the tournament. Ganguly’s tenure has mostly been a disaster.