New Delhi. Shocked by India captain Virat Kohli’s stormy press conference, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking at options to deal with the crisis while also ensuring that dramatic off-field developments distract the team ahead of the crucial Test series. No yes.
Indian Test captain Kohli had said during a press conference before leaving for South Africa for the three-match series that he was never asked to step down as the captain of the T20 side. His statement was contrary to BCCI President Sourav Ganguly’s statement which he had given in the media. There have been hardly any cases in the past when there is a contradiction between the statements of the superstar of Indian cricket and the current captain and former captain who holds the post of president.
It is learned that no one in the BCCI is happy with what happened on Wednesday but they understand that any strong reaction from them could be detrimental to the immediate resolution of the matter. Kohli arrived in South Africa this evening while in Kolkata the board president made it clear that he would not make any public statements. Ganguly told the media, “No statement, no press conference. We will deal with it, leave it to BCCI.”
It is learned that senior BCCI functionaries, including Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah, spoke on a ‘Zoom Call’ on Wednesday where it was collectively decided not to hold any press conferences or issue press releases.
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A senior BCCI source told PTI on condition of anonymity, “The expert’s point of view was known as to how to deal with this sensitive matter as it has the prestige of the president’s office. The BCCI is aware that a Test series is about to happen and any decision or statement made in a hurry can affect the morale of the team.
The best way for the captain and the president would be to sit down and amicably resolve the differences or lack of communication. There is little chance of Ganguly or Shah talking to the captain at the moment. Normally a central contract player is not expected to make critical comments against the institution or office bearers, but Kohli’s response to a question about what happened is a violation of the rules or not, hence the problem. There’s not going to be an easy solution. (agency)