Nick Hockley, CEO of Cricket Australia, had no shortage of praises for BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, calling the former India captain a fantastic character while lauding his passion for the game.
Nick Hockley, who was promoted to CA’s CEO on May 31 after guiding the game brilliantly through the Covid-19 situation, revealed how he and Sourav Ganguly had the opportunity to work together planning India Women’s tour of Australia later this year and realized the true character of the BCCI chief.
Nick Hockley: There’s No One More Passionate Than Sourav Ganguly About Cricket
Cricket Australia (CA) CEO Nick Hockley has lauded BCCI President Sourav Ganguly by calling him a ‘down to earth’ person recalling their recent interaction. Sourav Ganguly has been at the helm of the BCCI’s affairs since October 2019. Upon his appointment, the prolific Bengal cricketer took charge of Indian cricket as BCCI’s 39th President.
“He’s just really great. He’s a good, down-to-earth guy. I’ll tell you what, there’s no one that’s more passionate about the game. And he’s just been an absolute pleasure to deal with. We have been dealing with him recently because we have the Indian women’s team coming out here for a Test match,” Hockey said on The Grade Cricketer Podcast.
Sourav Ganguly was appointed the president of the BCCI on October 23, 2019, and has served his tenure with grit and determination. Under him, India played their first-ever Day/Night Test – against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens – in November of 2019. Under Sourav Ganguly, the BCCI ensured that despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the IPL 2020 took place in UAE.
Nick Hockley: Indian Women Team Excited To Play Test Against England And Australia After A Gap Of Several Years
Furthermore, it was announced that the Indian women’s cricket team would play a Test match in England – their first since 2006, and will also play its first-ever Day/Night Test in Australia later this year.
“I know they are really excited about it, it’s a big moment for them. I have found them to be very relatable, very human. We have all worked together in a way where everyone understands that we’ve got to keep cricket going,” Hockey added.
India and England Women will also be playing a Test match in June this year. This would be the first Test for the women’s team in the last seven years. India women last played a Test match in November 2014, against South Africa.
In April 2021, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed the fixtures for the tour, including the one-off Test match, and three Women’s One Day International (WODI) and three Women’s Twenty20 International (WT20I) matches.