Ganguly shots off mail to BCCI, slams state of affairs in Indian cricket

New Delhi: Former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly wrote an e-mail to Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), raising serious concern over the state of affairs in Indian cricket.

In the mail written to acting president CK Khanna, acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary and treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry, he said, ''I write this mail to you all with the deep sense of fear as to where Indian cricket administration is going.''

''I beg to state that the way things have gone in the last couple of years, the authority of Indian cricket to the world and the love and belief of millions of fans is on the way down,'' he added.

Speaking his mind on the sexual harassment allegations levelled against the board's chief executive officer (CEO) Rahul Johri, he said, ''The allegation has hurt the board's image. I don't know how far it's true, but the recent reports of harassment has really made the BCCI look very poorly. More so the way it has been handled.''

The CoA has constituted a three-member independent panel to look into the allegations against the CEO. The allegations against Johri pertained to a period much before he joined the BCCI.

Expressing concern over difference of opinion between the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) members, he wrote,''CoA has come down from four to two and now the two seem to be divided.''

According to the reports, CoA member Diana Edulji wanted Johri to be removed. Subsequently, another allegation of sexual harassment, this one pertaining to Johri's tenure with the Board, has come out.

The former India captain also criticised changing the rules of eligibility to play for a state, midway through the season, something that had never happened till date.

Ganguly, who also heads Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), expressed his displeasure at selection committee meeting being held without the board's representative (convenor).(UNI)