Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly has expressed his concerns and fear with the manner in which the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) handled a recent case of harassment allegations against BCCI CEO Rahul Johri.
The iconic cricket, who is now the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), wrote a letter to BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary, treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry and acting president CK Khanna telling them of his “deep sense of fear as to where Indian cricket administration is going”.
“I don’t know how far it’s true, but the recent reports of harassment has really made the BCCI look very poorly.. more so the way it has been handled… The Committee of Administrators from four has come down to two and now the two seem to be divided,” Ganguly wrote in the letter.
Johri had been accused of inappropriate behaviour by a woman during his stint at Discovery channel. He is the first person associated with Indian cricket to have been named in the #MeToo movement.
Ganguly underlined that during his time the lives of cricketers were ruled by winning and losing, and upholding the paramount of the image of Indian cricket. He added that they still “wake up looking at how our cricket is faring even now”.
“But with a deep sense of worry, I beg to state that the way things have gone in the last couple of years, the authority of Indian cricket to the world and the love and belief of millions of fans is on the way down,” he said.
In the letter, Ganguly also spoke up against the sudden change of rules in domestic cricket as per the whims and fancies of the CoA.
“Cricketing rules are changed in the middle of a season, which has never been heard off. Decisions made in committees are turned around with complete disrespect. One of my friends who is involved in matters relating to functioning of board asked me who should they go to (for a problem), I had no answer. I had to ask who should I invite for an international game from a particular association as I did not know what was going on,” he rued.
“Indian cricket with its massive following has been built over the years of hard work from superb administrators and greatest of cricketers who have managed to bring thousands of fans to the ground,” the 46-year-old former cricketer said in the letter.
“I at the present moment think it’s in danger,” Ganguly wrote.
Speaking to Hindustan Times, one of the office-bearers said that he shared Ganguly’s sentiments and understood where the former India skipper is coming from and the situation in the board is indeed appalling.