Sourav Ganguly: No statements or presser, we deal with it

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and Virat Kohli. Pics/AFP, Getty Images

India captain Virat Kohli's eyeball-grabbing media conference has forced a shell-shocked BCCI into a huddle as it explores its options on how to deal with the crisis while ensuring that the team is not distracted by off-field drama ahead of an important Test series.

The Indian Test captain, during a press conference before departing to South Africa for a three-match series, said that he was never asked "not to quit T20 captaincy", contrary to what BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had said to various media outlets. There are hardly any instances in the past where it becomes a choice between the word spoken by a sitting captain, who is also the reigning superstar of Indian cricket, against a decorated former skipper, who holds the chair of the president.

Board unhappy

It is understood that no one in the BCCI is happy at what transpired on Wednesday, but they also understand that any strong reaction in their bid to do a quick-fix could be counter-productive. While Kohli reached South Africa on Thursday evening, the BCCI president, in Kolkata, made it clear that he will make no public statement. "No statements, no press conference. We will deal with it, leave it to [the] BCCI," Ganguly told media-persons in his home town.

It is reliably learnt that the senior BCCI office-bearers, including Ganguly, secretary Jay Shah were engaged in a zoom call on Wednesday where a collective decision was taken that none would do a press conference or issue a press release. "Expert opinion was taken on how to deal with the sensitive matter as it also involves the respect of a president's office. The BCCI knows that a Test series is round the corner and any hasty decision or statement from them could affect the morale of the team," a senior BCCI source told PTI.

The best way is for both the captain and the president to sit across the table and amicably sort out the difference of opinion or miscommunication where statements perhaps have been lost in translation. However, as of now, neither Ganguly nor Shah might speak to the captain. Normally, a centrally-contracted player is not supposed to make any critical comments about the establishment or office-bearers. But whether Kohli's clarification on what transpired, in response to a question , rather than making a statement would amount to breaking the protocol is also a question.

Ask Ganguly: Gavaskar

Meanwhile, the legendary Sunil Gavaskar feels Ganguly is the best person to clear the air on Kohli's contradictory statement, saying the BCCI president "surely should be asked" how the difference in perception arose. "I think it [Kohli's comment] actually doesn't bring the BCCI into the picture. I think it's the individual who has to be asked where he got the impression he had conveyed such a message to Kohli. So, that's the only thing," Gavaskar told India Today. "Yes, he [Ganguly] should be asked why there is this discrepancy. He is probably the best person to ask about the discrepancy in what you seem to have to say and what the Indian captain has said," he added.

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