Sourav Ganguly knows in and out of what is required, believes Diana Edulji

10/23/2019

CoA member Diana Edulji, who will demit from his role today after the AGM, has stated that Sourav Ganguly is the best person to lead the BCCI for the fact that he knows what is required from the job. She has also added that CoA's role was more than a 'night watchman', as Vinod Rai called the CoA.

Edulji, who had served the BCCI's women's committee and was the manager of the Indian women's team in 2009, was inducted into the Committee of Administrators at the very beginning and alongside, Vinod Rai, she has been the only constant in the committee. For someone, who was also a part of the four-member steering committee led by former union home secretary GK Pillai that has been tasked with the responsibility of setting up a players' association, Edulji had come with quite a lot of experience.

Although she was never in the best terms with CoA chief Rai, her resistance to many issues brought few well-detailed debates. As her tenure finds a closure, with Sourav Ganguly-led panel set to take over, the former India women's captain was lavish in her praise for the man from Bengal.

"It is good that a player (has become a president), he knows in and out of what is required when he was a player what he expected of (from) BCCI, and now when he is sitting on that seat. Lot more work (has to be done), we were working on that (increasing remuneration for players), but could not finish it. The players, domestic structure does need a look in, so we can attract more cricketers to the game and let's hope for the best," Edulji was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

"(Unfinished work) That's part and parcel of any committee that comes in. When the office bearers come in and their tenure will be over, they will have unfinished business (as well). So it's simple, nobody can be perfect and there will be obstacles on the way and you have to get over it and work for the organisation."

More often than not, she was at loggerheads with her colleague Vinod Rai's views on matters relating to CoA, where she often disagreed with him. While more often than not, it was a 1-1 scenario, Ravi Thodge joining in as the third member of the committee, made things worse for her, as her views were always on the minority. Even though she had expressed her concerns in the past, she now added that it was never personal.

"We have our differences, and we have aired it also openly. (It works that way) in any organisation, and I have been always batted on the front foot or bowled my armours well. But it was nothing personal, it was just (on) principals that stands were taken and that's it. If I wanted to say something, I have always called spade a spade and don't hold back."

"It was a good experience and a long journey, didn't think it would last so long, but I am happy with the end result that the office-bearers are coming back and BCCI will be run by them now. I have enjoyed my journey of 33 months, never expected it to be so long. Mr Rai had said he was a nightwatchman, but this was more than a nightwatchman. Never heard of nightwatchman scoring double hundred or a triple."