No better person than Sourav Ganguly to lead BCCI, says Vinod Rai

CoA chief Vinod Rai on Wednesday said that former India skipper and newly-elected BCCI president Sourav Ganguly is best suited to head the world’s richest cricket board.

CoA chief Vinod Rai along with Diana Edulji at the BCCI headquarters on Wednesday.

The Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai, on Wednesday said the committee was 'totally satisfied' with the new apex council at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), under president Sourav Ganguly.

"We are totally satisfied because we are leaving BCCI behind five former players in administration in the apex council and IPL governing council," Rai said after demitting the office.

"BCCI administration could never have been better than this because we have a president who is one of our most successful captains. He has done about five years of cricket administration in Bengal. He has now taken over the reins of BCCI administration. I think, on behalf of CoA, that there is no person better placed with experience than him (Ganguly) to handle cricket administration in the country today."

When the CoA came into existence in January, 2017, it's aim was to conduct the elections in 10 months. But it took them two and a half years.

"The tenure got prolonged only because there were 92 interlocutory applications in the Supreme Court. Supreme Court, being as busy as it is, took time to resolve these applications," Rai said.

Talking about BCCI's share in the ICC revenue model, Rai said: "It is being reported that there was a 2014 model. Any of you who has followed BCCI know how much we got as per that 2014 model. We took charge in 2017.

"Not a single dollar was flown to us. When we took charge, we were told that we were allowed 293 million dollar. It was that time when Mr Vikram Limaye went and negotiated with the ICC. 293 got increased to 405 million dollars. That is where it stands today, and if in the future if we get more, that will be welcomed."

While most of the associations have complied to the new BCCI constitution, three - including Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and Haryana Cricket Association haven't complied to it yet. Rai said, they still have a chance.

"32 states have complied, three have not. We are totally satisfied because those three states have the option even now. They can join any time they want," he said.