Dubbing Sourav Ganguly as a 'baccha' (child), Cricket Association of Bengal President Jagmohan Dalmiya on Monday said he was committed to help all players including the former Indian captain.
"He is a baccha. It's not right to talk about bacchas," Dalmiya said responding to persistent questions from reporters on whether he would still back Ganguly, who had sent an email days before the CAB elections accusing the ruling faction of 'playing' with his career.
As CAB president, Dalmiya said he was committed to help the players of Bengal.
"I'll definitely help him," he told a media conference in the small hours after his re-election trouncing Kolkata Police Commissioner Prasun Mukherjee.
"Why only Sourav? As president and secretary of BCCI I stood by (Virender) Sehwag during the ball tampering controversy. I also suported Sachin (Tendulkar), Harbhajan (Singh) when the going got tough for them," he said. "I have always looked after players. It is a religion for me. And, I cannot compromise on this."
Asked whether he would fight for Ganguly's return to the Indian team, Dalmiya said "Why not? I've always been optimistic about his return. I've always said that there is a lot of cricket left in him."
Dalmiya said, however, that if the CAB members wanted, there could be a discussion on Ganguly's allegation that his faction had leaked Indian coach Greg Chappell's email to the Board last September. Chappell's email, containing damning observations about Ganguly as a player and captain, had created controversy after its contents were leaked.
