Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday backed former Indian cricket skipper Sourav Ganguly for the chairmanship of the ICC and targetted the Centre for allegedly removing the ex-BCCI chief from the post.
Mamata said that she would have protested even if the Centre โwould have done thisโ with master blaster Sachin Tendulkar as well. โSourav Ganguly is from Bengal so canโt he be International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman? You removed Sourav Ganguly but retained Jay Shah. If they wouldโve done this with Sachin Tendulkar, then also I wouldโve protested. Today Iโm ashamed that thereโs no representation of India in ICC,โ the Chief Minister said at the inauguration of Janbazar Sammilita Kali Puja in the city.
Hitting out at the Centre for the move of replacing Ganguly with Roger Binny as the BCCI president, Mamata alleged that the government used its power to not retain him.
โWe are really ashamed. Today you did not retain him because you are in power. What will happen in 2024 if you donโt come back to power? Sourav also knows this,โ she said.
Earlier on October 17, Mamata alleged that Ganguly had been โexcluded in an unfair wayโ from another term as BCCI chief and said he should be allowed to contest the ICC election.
Mamata Banerjee said that Ganguly is popular and โnot a political party memberโ and the Centre should not take a โpolitical decisionโ.
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โI request PM to make sure Sourav Ganguly must be allowed to contest the ICC election. Heโs a popular figure which is why he is being deprived. Request GoI not to take a decision politically, but for cricket, sportsโฆHe is not a political party member,โ she said.
โOn behalf of all countrymen I say that Sourav Ganguly is our pride, he has skillfully managed his sports and administration career. He was BCCI president. He was excluded in an unfair way; the compensation for it will be to send him to ICC,โ she said.
She also urged people not to use such firecrackers that can harm others.
โDuring Kali Puja, donโt use firecrackers that can harm others, donโt let communal clashes happen; be alert as thereโs a chance of a cyclonic storm and stay at home if the weather is not good,โ she said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by HW News staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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