Depriving Ganguly to fight ICC chief’s election ‘shameless political vendetta’: Mamata Banerjee
“Why was he not sent to ICC? It is to secure someone’s interest (in the cricket board). I had spoken to various BJP leaders, but he was not allowed. He has been deprived…. This is a shameful political vendetta,” she said.
Banerjee said she would have spoken out on the issue even if master batsman Sachin Tendulkar was similarly deprived.
On Monday, Banerjee went to North Bengal for a four-day tour. After landing at Bagdogra airport, the chief minister said, “Sourav is our pride and he played well and also did well as administrator. He was given responsibility of board president for three years and he served that role very well. We do not know why then after completing term, he was removed and son of Amitbabu (Son of Amit Shah, Jay Shah) remained there. We have no problem with him remaining as secretary of the BCCI but we want to know why Sourav was removed as BCCI president.”
She further said, “This is my humble regards and request to the Prime Minister to allow him to contest in ICC. He is being deprived. What is his fault?”
Roger Binny, a 1983 World Cup-winning squad member, has been elected as the 36th president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), taking over from Ganguly. However, the sports body’s AGM on Tuesday concluded without discussing the ICC election.
(With inputs from PTI)
