Ravi Shastri: Ganguly becoming BCCI president adds a lot of value

Ravi Shastri

Kolkata: This Indian team have moved from strength to strength under head coach Ravi Shastri and captain Virat Kohli. And now we have another former captain coming into the BCCI as president in Sourav Ganguly. The loudest cheer at the Eden Gardens was actually saved for when the two men - Shastri and Ganguly - shook hands after the win on the third afternoon. Known to speak his mind, Shastri says he couldn't have been happier than seeing a former cricketer come in as the BCCI chief at such a crucial juncture.

"I think it is fantastic. I was one of the first to congratulate him when he became the president because I was delighted that more important than anything a BCCI was back in place to put Indian cricket where it belongs both on and off the field. And I was even more delighted that a cricketer should be at the helm at this important phase of Indian cricket. "And Sourav having been a fabulous player and captain and been around as an administrator, him becoming the president adds a lot of value," Shastri told IANS.

An opportunity to speak with the head coach just after the end of India's maiden pink ball Test also means getting to understand how he saw it unfold. Will day-night Tests be the future? Shastri felt that while Ganguly and the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) did a brilliant job, the ball will need just a bit more studying.

"Hats off to Sourav and CAB for putting up this show because they didn't leave any stone unturned. The crowd responded magnificently and it really was a fabulous occasion. But when you talk of the cricket, it has its positives and negatives. How the pink ball can retain its shine, its texture will be the test in the future. The match has now given you the pluses and minuses.

"I feel it will take some time for the manufactures to get the right kind of ball, so that people can see ball in the night and how it gets affected once there is dew."

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