I do my job as BCCI president and don't need to answer speculation: Sourav Ganguly
New Delhi, Feb 4: From COVID-19 disruptions to allegations that he has tried to influence selectors to criticism that not enough has been done for women's cricket during his tenure, Sourav Ganguly has endured a challenging 26 months as BCCI President.
But in an exclusive interview with PTI, the former India captain not just rejected the accusations thrown at him but also offered a gentle reminder to his critics -- much before becoming the BCCI boss, he was a celebrated India cricketer and played in a whopping 424 international matches, 113 of them Tests.
Steering clear of the drama surrounding the end of Virat Kohli's captaincy tenure, Ganguly answered questions on other sensitive issues like the recently-announced resumption of the Ranji Trophy in two phases, the still awaited decision on India's new Test captain, and start of the Women's IPL.
He also disclosed that the India-West Indies T20Is in Kolkata this month will be a "closed-door" affair and laughed when told about speculation of a possible rift with Board secretary Jay Shah.
Excerpts
Q: There have been allegations that you have been influencing the selection committee and you sit in the meetings to put pressure on the selectors?
A: I don't think I need to answer anybody anything (on this) and dignify any of these baseless accusations. I am the president of BCCI and I do the job of what the president of BCCI should be doing.
Also just to let you know, I see a picture doing the rounds (of social media) showing me sitting in a selection committee meeting.
I want to make it clear, that picture (where Ganguly can be seen sitting with secretary Jay Shah, skipper Virat Kohli and joint secretary Jayesh George) wasn't from a selection committee meeting.
Jayesh George isn't a part of selection committee meetings. (I have played) 424 international matches for India. Not a bad idea at times to remind people about it, isn't it? (laughs)
Q: How has been your working relationship with Jay Shah in the last 26 months in the Indian cricket board?
A: I share a fantastic relationship with Jay. He is a very dear friend and a trusted colleague. Me, Jay, Arun (Dhumal) and Jayesh (George), we have all been working together to get the board going in these difficult times especially with COVID-19 in these two years. To make sure that cricket happens. I would say it has been a fantastic two years. We have all done it as a team.
Q: What kind of a new Test captain are you looking at after Virat Kohli's decision to step down?
A: Obviously, there are certain parameters of leadership and whoever fits the bill will be the next Indian Test captain. I believe selectors will have a name in mind and they will discuss it with office-bearers -- President and Secretary -- and it will be announced in due course of time.
Q: You had recently said that Rahane and Pujara will be playing Ranji Trophy. But does that mean they can get dropped for Sri Lanka Tests although that is now pushed to March?
A: What I meant was that they will play Ranji Trophy as it starts before the Sri Lanka series. After that, the selectors will take a call. Ranji Trophy Elite group starts in third week of February and Sri Lanka Tests are in March. It will completely be the call of selection committee and whatever they decide.
Q: When do we see someone like Hardik Pandya back in India fold? At least looking at options available right now, isn't the team feeling Hardik's absence?
A: Hardik was injured and a break was given to him to completely recover, so that he can continue to serve Indian cricket for a long period of time. I believe I will see him play some Ranji Trophy to start with.
I expect him to bowl a lot more overs and his body will get stronger. Also he is now captain of Ahmedabad IPL and that will be a platform where his form and fitness will be checked by selectors. Accordingly, they will take a call.
Q: Let's talk about Ranji Trophy. The BCCI is finally getting it started but even after increasing match fee to up to Rs 2.4 lakh per game for a certain bracket, most teams would end up playing only three first-class games. Isn't it a financial loss and an issue for all stakeholders?
A: They have played Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali also where the match money has increased. You have to understand that after we discussed with the medical team, it was decided to keep four teams in a group in a particular city as that was the only way we could probably maintain the sanctity of a bio-bubble in COVID times.
More number of individuals in any particular place would increase the rate of infections. That's why venues are more and teams are less. The time-frame, as we had postponed the mid-January start due to spike in cases, was also a factor. We have to have the U-25, U-19 knock-outs, Women's T20.
The IPL and Women's T20 challenge is there. A lot of first-class players would be part of IPL teams. So it's a mixture of everything. The BCCI would never want its first-class players to incur losses.
Q: Why isn't BCCI starting the women's IPL straightaway? Why again a T20 Challenge when a state unit like CAB is having a six team 90-player women's T20 club meet?
A: We are at the level of formulation to have a full-fledged WIPL. It is certainly going to happen. I strongly believe that next year i.e. 2023 will be a very good time to start a full-fledged women's IPL which will be as big and grand a success as men's IPL.
Q: IPL is being held in India hopefully. How big a relief will that be?
A: Well, as BCCI has always maintained that this is the Indian Premier League and we would ideally want to hold it in India. Yes, we haven't yet officially announced as we are still tracking the COVID-19 situation in the country. Yes, we would finalise the venues in some time. The plan is very much to hold it in India and we are preparing accordingly.
Q: Any special celebrations for India's 1000th ODI, which will be against the West Indies on Sunday?
A: No, nothing as such as everything is being held in the bubble. We have to maintain the COVID-19 protocols so yes elaborate celebrations won't be possible and in any case matches are being held closed doors.
Q: The state government has allowed 75 per cent spectators at the Eden Gardens for the three T20Is. But isn't BCCI wary given Motera is having closed-door ODIs?
A: Let me put this on record. We are not allowing spectators at the Eden Gardens for the three T20 Internationals. There will not be any tickets for general public. The only people allowed are CAB officials and representatives of the various units.
In these times, we can't risk the health of the players by allowing spectators. No tickets for the stands of Life or Associate members will be issued. Obviously, we have the clearance of West Bengal government but BCCI doesn't want to risk the health safety of players.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
