Denying Sourav Ganguly ICC role shameless political vendetta: Mamata Banerjee

KOLKATA: Not nominating Sourav Ganguly as India's nominee for the ICC chairperson's post, was a "shameless political vendetta to give priority to one particular person and deprive another", CM Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday, adding that she was "shocked" and wouldn't "take it lightly". The CM's statement came on the day the deadline for ICC nomination ended.
"What is the unknown reason behind depriving Sourav? I had myself requested several in the BJP government (on Sourav's nomination). I also made an open appeal. He is very qualified. Had Sourav gone to ICC, he would have made the country proud," Banerjee said. Stressing that there were precedents in former BCCI presidents Jagmohan Dalmiya and Sharad Pawar going on to helm the ICC, she sought to know if a cricketing icon like Sourav was being deprived "to keep the position open for someone else".
Speaking to reporters at Salt Lake stadium immediately after reaching Kolkata from Bagdogra on Thursday, the CM said the country's cricket lovers were being denied "for petty and selfish reasons" and insisted that she would have reacted in a similar manner had icons like Sachin Tendulkar or Mohammad Azharuddin been similarly deprived. She added that it was Sourav's decency that had stopped him from speaking out on the issue. "He (Sourav) has not let anyone know what's in his heart," she said.