"I got a call from Rahul Dravid's son saying his father was being too strict and that he needed to be taken away" - Sourav Ganguly
The BCCI president Sourav Ganguly recently joked that he got a call from Rahul Dravid's son saying that Dravid was being too strict at home. On a lighter note, Ganguly revealed that it was the reason he asked his former teammate to become the head coach of Team India.
Ravi Shastri's tenure as Team India's head coach concluded after the 2021 T20 World Cup. The BCCI then named legendary batter Rahul Dravid as Shastri's successor to take the team forward in the right direction. Dravid has had successful stints as a coach for India A and Under-19 teams over the last few years. The New Zealand tour of India next week will be his first assignment after the appointment.
While speaking at the 40th Sharjah International Book Fair on Saturday about the process behind Dravid's appointment, Ganguly said on a lighter note:
"I got a call from him saying his father was being too strict with him and that he needed to be taken away. That's when I called Rahul (Dravid) and told him that it was time for him to join the national team."
He then explained how the communication between him and Dravid was smooth due to their on-field and off-field friendship over the years.
"We grew up together, started around the same time, and spent most of the time playing together. So it was easy for some of us to make him feel welcome and wanted."
"This is not in Rameez's hands, nor mine" - Sourav Ganguly on the possibility of bilateral series between India and Pakistan
Ganguly revealed that the resumption of bilateral cricket ties between India and Pakistan is not under his or PCB chairman Rameez Raja's control. The BCCI president reasserted that the decision is in the jurisdiction of the government. In this regard, Sourav Ganguly said:
"This is not in the hands of the boards. At world tournaments, the two teams do play each other. Bilateral cricket has been stopped for years and this is something that the respective governments have to work on. This is not in Rameez's hands, nor mine".
India and Pakistan faced off in the 2021 T20 World Cup in a match after a two-year gap. Pakistan won the match comprehensively due to stellar performances from Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, and Shaheen Afridi.