Sourav Ganguly has made it clear that the BCCI’s recent agreement with the Emirates Cricket Board is only “for the IPL” and it will do everything to ensure that the series against England remains within the country.
England are scheduled to tour India next year between February and March for five Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is.
“(Our) First and foremost priority is to make this series happen in India. We will try to make this happen on Indian grounds. The advantage in UAE is that they have three stadiums (Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai),” the BCCI president said during an interaction organised by the Bengal Peerless group at a city hotel.
“We also have the same facility in Mumbai — CCI, the Wankhede and DY Patil. We also have Eden Gardens. We have to create a bio-security bubble. We want to hold our cricket in India, that’s where the game is, that’s where the heart is. But we are monitoring the Covid situation,” Sourav said.
“Everything is fluid. It’s been hard for the last six months to keep everything in order. You want your cricket to happen. You want lives to get back to normal, there are players involved. But you also want to have a close look at the Covid situation,” he remarked.
The former India captain reiterated BCCI’s keenness to hold the domestic season. “We are monitoring it. We want to have our domestic season. We have all the combinations, situations ready in our mind. We will try and make it happen as much as we can,” he said.
Sourav also backed Mahendra Singh Dhoni to come good and felt he should bat higher up in the order.
“When Dhoni was in prime form and was the captain, then I was in broadcasting and had said that he should bat at No.4,” he pointed out.
“In the current situation, it will take some time for him to get back to his old touch. He played a cricket match after about one year and six months. It’s not easy, however good you are. It will take some time to find rhythm,” he felt.
On a possible farewell match for Dhoni, who retired from international cricket last month, Sourav said: “I’ve not spoken to him on this.
But Dhoni deserves everything for what he has achieved for India…”
