Cut from a different cloth: What Sourav Ganguly’s peers said about the newly-elected BCCI President

On Wednesday, former captain Sourav Ganguly offically became the 39th president of Board of Control for Cricket in India.

Ganguly, 47, was the only nominee to the post and takes over after more than two years of a Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators overseeing the board’s affairs.

The former captain’s appointment is being seen as a new era for the troubled Indian cricket board, after the previous office members were removed after a failure to enact a series of recommended reforms.

Over the past week, after Ganguly’s election became a formality, many former players and his contemporaries congratulated the former skipper. His taking over of the BCCI has been likened to his promotion as captain of the Indian team in 2000s post the match-fixing scandals and a period that saw the team evolve into fierce competitors home and away.

“The way he played his cricket, the way he has gone out and served the nation, I have no doubt that he will serve [as BCCI president] in the same capacity and in the same manner, with same passion and same focus. That is what I know of him,” Tendulkar had said at an event in Mumbai.

Wriddhiman Saha, who was a member of the Ganguly-led Vijay Hazare Trophy Bengal team in 2012 said that Ganguly can bring about a lot of improvements in Indian cricket as BCCI president.

“He is aware of player’s demands and knows what goes on between them. It will be an added plus to the team and individual players,” Saha said.

“I hope players will immensely benefit after Dada takes up the new role, especially under the circumstances. He has represented the country for a long time and then went on to dominate Indian cricket first as a player then captain.

“He can bring about a lot of improvements as he knows the game inside out. If something is not happening, Dadi can make it happen,” he added.

Ganguly received some overseas support as well.

(With agency inputs)