Sourav Ganguly says IPL players not to suffer for owner’s faults

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly told reporters that players of the two banned IPL teams of Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings shouldn’t be chastised for the faults of their respective owners.

A member of the BCCI’s four-member working group that’ll study the Justice R.M. Lodha committee’s order, Sourav maintained, “I don’t want to jump the gun, there’s a Board to take care of that. The role of the working group is to find out a way to get the next IPL going. But innocent players shouldn’t suffer. It’s common sense, really. You cannot punish X for Y’s faults. How and where they play, how they are distributed among teams is for the Board to decide.”

The special BCCI group will give its recommendations within six weeks. It’ll also chart a roadmap for IPL 9, which needs a minimum of eight teams. When asked if IPL’s tainted pacer Sreesanth could be allowed to play again Ganguly said, “Well, he has been cleared by a Delhi court, but the BCCI has said that its decision, based on disciplinary action, will remain unaltered. Since the BCCI gives all the players an opportunity to come back and play, I think there should be a meeting between Sreesanth and the BCCI."

"As far as Sreesanth's comeback is concerned, I believe that the Kerala Cricket Association has supported him and has requested the BCCI to help him. That's the way it should be”, he said.

Sourav also gave rise to conjectures of a possible comeback of players convicted in the match-fixing scandal, "I think it will take a few months' time since there is a scope of going to a higher court. I don't know what Delhi police is going to do. But I feel if the BCCI, maybe in a few months' time, is convinced that everything is clear and fine, they will let the players play. We have to wait for some more time."

Dada also confirmed that the BCCI has extended the Conflict of Interest clause to more than just the owners, “Everyone associated with Indian cricket would be under it. That includes the administration and the players.”

When asked if India-Pakistan matches should continue after the heinous attack on Gurdaspur, Sourav thought otherwise, "An India-Pakistan series is always entertaining and a high profile one, but we cannot ignore the sufferings of the people of Gurdaspur. I think the Board was correct in saying that the terror attacks and threats would have to completely go before bilateral cricket ties can be resumed."

Image credit: Indiatimes