Why should India bow down to administrator Sourav Ganguly?!

Jun 19, 2016 at 5:28 PM

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Why should India bow down to administrator Sourav Ganguly?!

Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly is the most influential cricketer in India. He taught India how to fight with an aggressive opponent.  He is the only Indian captain who holds the record of most number of Test match victories in overseas conditions. Ganguly as a captain shepherds a team and instills confidence among the players. India under the captaincy of Ganguly chased down a mountainous total in 2002. In reply to England’s 325 runs, India won the match in the last over with three balls remaining at the Lord’s in the NatWest trophy final.

The former Indian captain, who was himself was a great left-handed batsman, when left the men in blue in a position fro where they became one of the top teams.

Ganguly bid adieu to the international cricket in 2008. After the retirement, he joined Cricket Association of Bengal as the joint secretary of the board. He also became a commentator for a short time. But when BCCI asked him whether he wants to join cricket administration or commentary in the wake of conflict of interest allegations, Ganguly left the commentary and became a full-time cricket administrator.

After the demise of BCCI and CAB president Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sourav Ganguly has become the president of the cricket governing the body of Bengal. Since he came to the CAB, he has added many laurels to his name and to the iconic Eden Gardens.

Here are six works Ganguly has done for cricket and the Eden Gardens for that cricket fans in India bow down to him.

  • An ability to draw sponsors:

The legendary cricketer is himself a brand in international cricket and has the calibre to draw advertisers to his association. When he was secretary CAB signed a deal with Birla group to draw huge sum to the association to brim the coffer of CAB which was  at shamble. Ganguly changed the scenario first as a secretary and later as the president of the association. He also rolled out a plan to keep the financial health of the board swanky.  In 2015 Harbhajan Singh’s company Bhajji Sports has become the  main sponsor of the Bengal team. The Eden Gardens also earn huge sum from Kolkata Knight Riders as the ground is the home of Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan  owned team.

 

  • Kept Eden Garden match ready

 

CAB in the last couple of years drew a lot of flak as they failed to complete a few international matches given to them. India’s two matches against South Africa washed away due to rain. An afternoon rain made Kolkata’s ground soft, as a result, it has become difficult for the groundsmen to dry the ground within three or four hours. But Sourav Ganguly is different from other CAB mandarins as he himself walked into the ground and monitored the entire work of renovation at the Eden Gardens. Now if there is a rain threat in Kolkata, the width and breadth of the Eden Gardens will be covered by trampoline. Special sands also used to dry the ground.   He also changed the experience of spectators as he worked on the stands and focus on the amenities of cricket spectators. Now a cricket spectator will find the stands dust free and foods and water are also available. You will not also have to face any problem after the end of the match as Kolkata Police are be deployed there to guide you to the main road outside of the stadium. Eden Gardens has a long tradition of tragedies due to overcrowded stadiums.

 

  • Hosted India-Pakistan WT20 match

The is the highlight of Sourav Ganguly’s intense work for the development of Eden Gardens. The India and Pakistan match was Sourav Ganguly’s first  big test. He succeeded. Initially, March 19, 2016, high voltage India and Pakistan match was scheduled at Dharamsala Stadium, the home ground of BCCI president Anurag Thakur, but the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virvhardra Singh refused to give any security to Pakistani players. So at the last moment, BCCI had to shift the match.

CAB said they are ready to host the match. But on the D-Day, the rain gods aggravated Sourav Ganguly’s job.  The West Bengal metrological department forecasted a heavy rain in the morning and afternoon along with thunderstorm.   But Ganguly fought against the time to keep the Eden gardens match ready. He covered the entire ground and placed groundsmen everywhere on the turf to defy gusty air.  At around 9.30 pm the match started. It was an 18 overs match, India won the match as Virat Kohli’s excellent fifty ensured India’s victory against Pakistan’s 118.

As the match completed without any issue it was Sourav Ganguly’s biggest victory against the fury of nature as an administrator.

  • Ganguly is the pioneer in marketing pink ball cricket in India:

The Gangetic Bengal is prone to heavy rain in the June-July month. So hosting a match during the time of the rainy season is a big challenge. But Ganguly left no stone unturned  for the first ever Day Night pink ball match in India  at the Eden Gardens. It was the CAB’s club cricket final between Bhawanipore and Mohun Bagan. Cricket Association of Bengal is the first Cricket Association of Bengal in India  to host first day-night pink ball match.  The rain  started on the first day morning but match started at the right time as the ground was covered with trampoline one day before. The match has started on a day when  the monsoon rain has hit the Gangetic Bengal.  The rain only once halted the match but overall it has  helped the cause of first pink ball day-night match experiment in India.

  • Stopped internal politics at CAB

One of the big issues that halt development work is internal politics or back biting. But Ganguly  after taking the hot seat blew away all the politics to develop cricket and infrastructure in Bengal.  He chooses Sairaj Bahutule as the Bengal Ranji team coach. But his decision sparked a stir at CAB as usually the selection matter of Bengal Ranji coach need to be discussed among the members of the board. As the selection process was very slow and Ranji 2015-2016 was on the verge of beginning Ganguly made the news of Bahutule’s selection official.  After becoming president he took the decision of cricket almost alone and discuss only the administrative part with his members.

  • Ganguly has drawn best experts to develop cricket in Bengal

As a reputed international cricketer, Ganguly has a good rapport with many great international cricketers. He brought Waqar Younus, Muttiah Muralitharan as the bowling coach of Bengal’s young bowlers and hired one of his trusted men of his hey days in international cricket  VVS Laxman as the batting consultant of the young batsmen. Waqar Younis later left the job for personal reason but Muralitharan is doing great work with the youngsters.

Ganguly’s brainchild vision 2020 is already helping Bengal team with young bowlers and batsmen are rising and feeding the Ranji team. So he asked Murali and Laxman to continue with their jobs.

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