Ganguly set for administrative stint

Sourav Ganguly is set to be elected unopposed as the joint secretary of the Cricket Association of Bengal during the AGM next week, marking the former India captain's first stint with cricket administration.

The deadline for filing candidatures for the election to be held on July 27 ended today (July 20). CAB treasurer Biswarup Dey confirmed that Sourav Ganguly and Subir Ganguly are the only two candidates to have submitted nomination papers for the two posts of joint secretaries. While Subir is an incumbent joint secretary, Sourav will replace Sujan Mukherjee who is to complete his maximum term of four years.

It will be interesting to see if Ganguly is able to spare substantial amount time for his new role from his commitments as a television expert, though CAB office-bearers exuded confidence about Ganguly's intentions.

"Sourav would have never took up such an important responsibility had he not been sure about his availability," Dey said. It is also worth noting if Ganguly represents the CAB at important BCCI meetings.

After retiring from international cricket in 2008, Ganguly was appointed as the head of BCCI's technical committee. However, since he was still active on the domestic circuit, he was replaced by his team-mate Anil Kumble. Once he was done with his domestic assignments, including the IPL in 2012, Ganguly took over as the CAB's cricket development committee chief.

He had played an instrumental role in roping in Waqar Younis and Muttiah Muralitharan as bowling consultants for Bengal cricket ahead of the previous domestic season.

Ganguly's inclusion will be the only change to an otherwise stable CAB administrative set-up, headed by former BCCI and ICC chief Jagmohan Dalmiya. All the eight posts for office-bearers, including that of the president, will be elected unopposed during the AGM.