Former India captain Sourav Ganguly is all set for an uncontested return as the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) at its upcoming annual general meeting. However, this second stint for the ‘Prince of Kolkata’ promises to be far from easy, as the organization grapples with a cloud of financial irregularities and pressing credibility concerns.
The entire panel slated to lead CAB alongside Ganguly – including Bablu Kolay (secretary), Madan Mohan Ghosh (joint-secretary), Sanjay Das (treasurer), and Anu Dutta (vice-president) – is also expected to be elected unopposed. At 53, the former BCCI president steps back into the leadership role, taking over from his elder brother, Snehasish Ganguly, who resigned in adherence to the six-year executive position cap mandated by the Lodha Committee recommendations.
In recent months, CAB’s reputation has taken a hit due to various controversies. The performance of the Ranji Trophy team has been underwhelming, and the association itself has faced penalties. For instance, finance committee member Subrata Saha was fined Rs 2 lakh and barred from sub-committee activities due to a conflict of interest. Earlier in August, joint-secretary Debabrata Das was suspended for six months following allegations of financial misconduct.
Addressing these concerns, Ganguly offered a calm assessment after filing his nomination: “Most organizations have issues to deal with. In the future, if there are issues, they will be dealt with in an appropriate manner.”
As he embarks on his second term, Ganguly has outlined several key priorities. He aims to significantly strengthen Bengal’s first-class cricket, give a much-needed boost to the Bengal Pro T20 League, vigorously promote women’s cricket, and establish robust grassroots development programs across the state. “The cricketing system has to move forward. I’ll be trying to talk to our Ranji Trophy cricketers, but there’s no need for too many heads in the team. Players’ skills matter, after all. As an administrator, I’ll help them with the best possible things, and I will do it,” he affirmed.
One of his immediate major responsibilities will be to oversee the opening Test match between India and South Africa at the iconic Eden Gardens on November 14. This marks the first Test at the venue since the memorable pink-ball clash against Bangladesh in 2019. Beyond CAB duties, Ganguly will also represent the association at the BCCI annual general meeting on September 28 and manage his coaching commitments with Pretoria Capitals in the SA20 league, scheduled from December 26 to January 25.