BCCI votes Sourav Ganguly’s name as the first choice for Pataudi lecture instead of Kevin Peterson
On Friday, after selecting Kevin Pietersen to deliver the Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi lecture, the BCCI has voted for Sourav Ganguly to deliver the Pataudi lecture as their first choice ahead of the former English player. However, there is still confusion about the choice of the second person.
The conflict between the opinions amongst the BCCI office-bearers has once again come to limelight, due to their email exchange over the choice of speakers for the Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi Lecture. After the selection of English cricketer Kevin Peterson to deliver the speech, Board of Control For Cricket in India (BCCI) acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary stated his displeasure against the move and opined that he had instead thought of former stars like Nari Contractor, Chandu Borde, Erapalli Prasanna and Abbas Ali Baig, to be selected by BCCI.
However, it is now emerging that both BCCI’s acting-president CK Khanna and acting-treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry strongly batted for Sourav Ganguly to deliver the Pataudi lecture as their first choice ahead of Pietersen, which eventually became BCCI's choice.
Meanwhile, for the second choice, Amitabh Chaudhary wanted Kevin Pietersen’s name on the list, in contradiction to this, CK Khanna wanted former Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara. Referring to the list of speakers, Khanna, in his letter to BCCI, suggested Ganguly’s name right on top, followed by Sangakkara, Pietersen, and Nasser Hussain.
“Undoubtedly, all suggested speakers are good orators. I would go ahead with Sourav Ganguly and Kumar Sangakkara,” Khanna wrote, as reported by TOI.
The three topics which were selected to be discussed are peace and sustainability through cricket relevant since Afghanistan, behaviour and conduct of international players in the modern age – players’ perspective and cricket as an Olympic sport — the way forward.
Talking over the issue, the Committee of Administrators maintained that it’s a matter of BCCI and they are open to any name which will be suggested. However, COA, in its letter to BCCI, looked clearly unhappy, the way things have panned out as far as selection procedure is concerned.
“We do not propose to complicate things for you. Diana and I are not privy to any discussion/consultation which took place in Bengaluru. Since we were not in the loop, our suggestion followed. Four names were proposed to us by you. We picked one name out of those. Since you are already following up on that name, please continue to do so. Failing his availability, I am open to any name that is suggested. These are non-issues on which evolving a consensus should not be a problem,” CoA chairman Rai wrote to BCCI's general manager Saba Karim.
The letter clearly stating that Choudhary would have to accept the choice of Pietersen as the guest at the MAK Pataudi Lecture on June 12 in Bangalore under protest.
