In a letter to the BCCI's office bearers, Sourav Ganguly, the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), said he has a "deep sense of fear and worry" about how cricket is being run in India and that the game's popularity is "in danger" because of the current administration.
In his letter, which ESPNcricinfo has accessed, he has also spoken publicly for the first time about the "appalling" way in which Ravi Shastri was selected as the national team's head coach. He also criticised the handling of the recent ***ual harassment case and the changing of playing conditions in domestic cricket in the middle of the season.
Two of these three decisions - made with the blessings of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) - directly involved Ganguly, and possibly overruled him.
Ganguly was on the Cricket Advisory Committee that selected Shastri as India's coach after the bitter falling out of captain Virat Kohli with incumbent coach Anil Kumble. First, the deadline for the application was extended, allowing Shastri to apply. After the interviews, Ganguly said in a press conference he wanted to give Kohli some time to think about his demand. However, the CoA and the BCCI announced Shastri's appointment the same evening. The first press release said Rahul Dravid and Zaheer Khan had been appointed batting and bowling consultants, but neither Dravid nor Zaheer ever got to work with the team.
"My experience in the matter of coach selection was appalling," Ganguly wrote. "The less said the better."
'Deep sense of fear and worry' for Indian cricket: Ganguly - ESPNcricinfo
In his letter, which ESPNcricinfo has accessed, he has also spoken publicly for the first time about the "appalling" way in which Ravi Shastri was selected as the national team's head coach. He also criticised the handling of the recent ***ual harassment case and the changing of playing conditions in domestic cricket in the middle of the season.
Two of these three decisions - made with the blessings of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) - directly involved Ganguly, and possibly overruled him.
Ganguly was on the Cricket Advisory Committee that selected Shastri as India's coach after the bitter falling out of captain Virat Kohli with incumbent coach Anil Kumble. First, the deadline for the application was extended, allowing Shastri to apply. After the interviews, Ganguly said in a press conference he wanted to give Kohli some time to think about his demand. However, the CoA and the BCCI announced Shastri's appointment the same evening. The first press release said Rahul Dravid and Zaheer Khan had been appointed batting and bowling consultants, but neither Dravid nor Zaheer ever got to work with the team.
"My experience in the matter of coach selection was appalling," Ganguly wrote. "The less said the better."
'Deep sense of fear and worry' for Indian cricket: Ganguly - ESPNcricinfo