Ahead of the 91st Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the BCCI in Mumbai on Tuesday, there were enough speculations about the issue of International Cricket Council (ICC) chairmanship and whether India was to send a candidate for the top post. More so, after Sourav Ganguly's exit as the BCCI president was all but decided and initial reports had claimed that the former India captain may be fielded by the BCCI. However, sources have confirmed that there was no discussion to field a candidate for ICC chairman at the AGM. The last date for filing the nominations for the ICC top job is October 20.
This comes a day after West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee batted for Ganguly, urging prime minister Narendra Modi to send the former BCCI President to the apex cricket body. Mamata Banerjee on Monday had said that Sourav Ganguly "has been deprived" of his post as Indian cricket board chairman and appealed to Modi to "compensate him" by sending him to the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Now, it has been learnt from the sources, that the BCCI AGM has authorised office-bearers to finalise India's representative to the ICC and the reconstitution of the Cricket Advisory Committee.
The Bengal Chief Minister said on Monday that Sourav Ganguly had been "unfairly left out", calling it "bad and sad". The former India captain was keen to continue as BCCI President but he was told that there is no precedence of giving a second term to the Board president, according to sources. He was also offered IPL chairmanship, but Ganguly declined.
"He has been deprived. Why is he being deprived? What is his fault? Everybody knows it. All the countries. The world. We are proud of him. Not only Bengal, but he is also Bengal's Dada, bhai, brother. But he is a pride for the country and the world. Everybody knows him. Every country that plays cricket, knows him. He has worked with everybody. He is popular figure. That's why he is being deprived? I am really shocked. It's bad and it's sad,'' Banerjee told reporters at the Kolkata airport.
"There are only one or two people who are entitled to go to the ICC. I will request the PM, my humble regards to the PM. Please take care that Sourav Ganguly is must be allowed to contest the ICC election."