Thakur has to carry BCCI legacy forward: Ganguly

Mumbai, May 22 (IANS) Former India skipper and Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Sourav Ganguly congratulated the newly-appointed BCCI president Anurag Thakur, saying the former board secretary has to carry forward the legacy of his predecessors.

The 41-year-old Thakur, who is also Bharatiya Janata Party's Lok Sabha member from Himachal Pradesh, has got the backing of all the east zone members including Assam, Bengal, Tripura, Jharkhand and the National Cricket Club and was unanimously elected the president of BCCI for the remaining period of the 2014-17 term at the Special General Meeting (SGM) here on Sunday. He filed his nomination on Saturday.

Thakur will represent Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at International Cricket Council's (ICC) executive board and Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

“Obviously he has to carry the legacy of the people who have been in the post before here. I am sure he will do that as he has been the secretary here for a while. So, he knows the job and he will take it forward. I am sure Indian cricket will be looked after well and that’s what it is,” Ganguly told reporters here on Sunday.

Thakur took over the post from Shashank Manohar, who stepped down to take up the International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman’s job.

Manohar took over the BCCI post after the sudden death of the then board president Jagmohan Dalmiya.

“I think every job comes with challenges. I don’t think it a crown of thorns, whether you open in a Test cricket against the best bowling attack, or you are BCCI president or association president. Every job comes with challenges, expectations and you have to deal with it. I think BCCI is in a great position in the way the game goes around in the country,” Ganguly added.

Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) chief and business tycoon Ajay Shirke was named the BCCI secretary, as per the rules to fill up the vacancy caused by Thakur’s resignation from that post.

“And I think with him and Shirke, BCCI will go forward. BCCI has done a good work in the past and it is in good hands, where players are looked after and also after the domestic players,” the former India skipper said.

Speaking on the India-New Zealand day-night Test match to be held in India later this year, the 43-year-old Ganguly said, “Day-night Test is a must. It is going to happen in India soon. I don’t think it is too far away from being played in India."

"Test cricket to me is the best form of the game. For any cricketer it is the ultimate challenge...his ability and reputation. It needs a bit of innovation and I think day-night cricket is best way forward," Ganguly said.