Legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar today backed former national team captain Saurav Ganguly to take over as interim president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India even as the latter calmed talk about him taking over as BCCI chief, saying "it's too early" to draw any such conclusions.
The BCCI is currently undergoing an administrative crisis following the sacking of President Anurag Thakur and Secretary Ajay Shirke by the Supreme Court.
Since the sacking of the duo, many names including that of Ganguly -- the current Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President -- have been doing the rounds to succeed Thakur on an interim basis.
"BCCI has got very good bench strength to take up the bigger roles and one name that comes to my mind is Sourav Ganguly," Gavaskar was quoted as saying by NDTV news channel.
"Remember, in 1999-2000 when Indian cricket was gripped by the match-fixing saga, Ganguly was given the Indian team captaincy and he turned it around," the diminutive former opener added.
On the other hand, Saurav has appealed to not take his name so early.
"It's better not to take my name. There is no reason to take my name. It's too early," Ganguly told reporters.
Ganguly, who is currently the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President said nobody has got any choice but to implement the Lodha Committee recommendations in toto.
"We have got no choice. Nobody has a choice but to implement them," said Ganguly, who took over the top post of the CAB after predecessor Jagmohan Dalmiya's demise in 2015.
"I still have two more years in the position. The recommendations have put a cap of three years for one post," Ganguly said.
The CAB is expected to see an exodus of incumbent office-bearers who do not meet the Lodha panel recommendations.
Asked about the replacements and whether he has them in mind, Ganguly replied in the affirmative.
"I have called for a meeting of all office-bearers tomorrow at 5 p.m. We will find a way out. It's not that there are no replacements. Again, we all have to implement it, there's no way out."
Ganguly, however is not a vice-president and would even complete a three-year tenure in office in CAB and hence could be ineligible for the post.
