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Hitting out at former Team India Director Ravi Shastri, BCCI’s advisory committee member, Sourav Ganguly said he was “very saddened” by his personal attack and “advised” that he should have been present before the committee in person rather than holidaying in Bangkok. Shastri had applied for the position of coach of the Indian cricket team but lost out to Anil Kumble.
"I am extremely saddened when he went on air, expressing his views, especially from someone who has been in every BCCI committee for the last 20 years. He has been in my position, you know, the position to select the coach. I don't think he's aware of everything. I just feel his (Shastri) comments are very personal. If Ravi Shastri feels that Sourav Ganguly was responsible for him not being the India coach, he is living in a fool's world," he told reporters on Wednesday.
"I have an advice for him also, when the coach of India is selected and it's one of the most important jobs in cricket, he should be in front of the committee giving his presentation and not sit in Bangkok on holiday and make a presentation on camera especially when someone who is one of the greatest cricketers of India all time spoke for two hours nearly, Anil Kumble," he added.
This comes after Shastri since last Friday in multiple interviews blamed Ganguly for losing out to Anil Kumble in the race for the position of coach in the Indian cricket team.
Speaking for the first time on the matter, Ganguly revealed that his absence during Shastri’s interview was pre-planned as he was scheduled to attend a working committee meeting of the Cricket Association of Bengal of which he is the president.
Even until Tuesday, Ganguly had maintained silence over the matter saying that interview was a ‘confidential’ matter.
“The (coach selection) interview is absolutely confidential. I don’t want to talk about Shastri’s comment. You should also ask the other members of the (cricket) advisory committee,” he had told the Indian Express.