Snehasish Ganguly takes charge as CAB president; extends olive branch to Wriddhiman Saha

On Monday, the newly-elected president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), Snehasish Ganguly, expanded an olive branch to veteran Indian wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha, who left Bengal to join Tripura on a discordant note. He had left Bengal following a fallout with a CAB official and marked himself "unavailable" for Bengal upon learning that he was on the national radar no longer. Wriddhiman later joined Tripura as a mentor-cum-player, ending his 15-year affinity with the CAB. Taking over from Avishek Dalmiya as the CAB president, Snehasish said he still shares a "cordial relationship" with Saha and hoped for the 38-year-old veteran to return to his homeland.

"Wriddhi is Bengal's pride. Only Sourav (113) and Pankaj Roy (43) have played more Test matches than him from Bengal. He has given a lot to Bengal, and he still has plenty more to give," Snehasish said after unanimously being elected as CAB president during its 91st Annual General Meeting (AGM).

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"We still share a very cordial relationship with Wriddhi, and we believe he will return to play for Bengal again. I would be glad if he came back. It won't be right to disturb him since he's busy with the season. But, once the season gets over, I will try and talk with him. The door for him will always be open, and we'll be more than happy to welcome him back," added Snehasish.

Days after he was not given a second term as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president, legendary former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly expressed his interest in contesting for the CAB's top post. However, he made a U-turn and paved the way for his elder brother.

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The other office bearers in Snehasish's office are vice-president Amalendu Biswas, secretary Naresh Ojha, joint secretary Debabrata Das and treasurer Prabir Chakraborty. All of them were elected unopposed. Snehasish declared his priority would be to take cricket to the next level in Bengal and construct a more promising supply chain for the Indian side.

"I want to take Bengal cricket to new heights. The players are the assets... No matter how well we plan, they are the ones who will deliver. I hope we create a better supply line for Indian cricket," he voiced. Among other things, Snehasish said that the iconic Eden Gardens would be renovated before the World Cup, including replacing the LEDs in floodlights and facelifting the Club House and gallery.

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Outgoing president Avishek Dalmiya sounded: "It was indeed an honour and privilege to lead the CAB, and I have tried my best to serve Bengal cricket to the best of my ability and tried my best that transparency is maintained. We also have grand plans to ensure that Eden Gardens would remain one of the best stadiums the world has ever seen."

(With inputs from PTI)