'Sourav Ganguly takes decisions quickly' - Harsha Bhogle on Dada's impact as the BCCI President
Respected cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle believes that Sourav Ganguly would bring about a welcome change in the BCCI, considering Dada's propensity to make decisions quickly.
Harsha Bhogle put forth his opinion on various cricketing matters including Sourav Ganguly's reign as the BCCI President while answering queries from Sawera Pasha on the YouTube show Cric Cast.
On being asked if he had seen a change in the BCCI after Sourav Ganguly became the President, Harsha Bhogle responded that it is too early to observe a change while maintaining that the impact would be visible in the upcoming days.
"Not as of now. But it will happen. Because after he came the effect of the Lodha commission was still there, a Chief Executive was there. There was a rule that you need to take a break after 6 years. That rule if it will change or not is not known."
Harsha Bhogle lauded Sourav Ganguly's ability to take quick decisions while highlighting the successful conduct of the day-night Test match against Bangladesh in Kolkata, a brainchild of the former Indian captain, despite a few hiccups along the way.
"It was a little adhoc but he takes decisions quickly. The moment he came the first thing he said was that we will play a day-night Test match. And the day-night Test match happened in Kolkata. There were some difficulties, few issues were there but he showed that it can be done."
Harsha Bhogle on Sourav Ganguly's future as the BCCI President
Harsha Bhogle expressed hope that Sourav Ganguly gets an entire three-year term as the BCCI President, while observing that all cricketers cannot shoulder that responsibility, contrary to their belief.
"I hope he gets 3 years as the BCCI president. Every cricketer cannot become a Board president. It is a fallacy of people that they feel that if they have played cricket that they have become the best professor of Geography, became a scientist, can predict an earthquake, became an economist, that they can do anything. That is not the case."
Harsha Bhogle opined that coming from a business background, apart from his in-depth cricketing knowledge, would hold Sourav Ganguly in good stead in the administrative world.
"Some cricketers are there who know everything about cricket but there is also a life outside cricket, he has come from a business family, he can understand business and administration."
The renowned commentator signed off by stating that once the Indian cricket administration is relieved from the shadows of the court, the game would grow by leaps and bounds in the country.
That's why I feel that he will become a good Board president. We will see now, still our cricket is stuck a little in the courts and the day we get freedom from the court, our cricket will bloom even more.
Sourav Ganguly took over as the BCCI President in October 2019. But having served for more than 5 years at the Cricket Association of Bengal, his 6-year continuous tenure as an administrator was supposed to end on July 27.
The Board has appealed to the Supreme Court to wave off the cooling-off period for the BCCI President and Secretary, but the decision is still awaited.