CHENNAI: Stuck at home and taken aback by the magnitude by the COVID-19 pandemic, Sourav Ganguly thinks the situation demands patience. The BCCI president and former India skipper spoke to The New Indian Express from his Kolkata residence on various things including the future of the IPL. Excerpts:
How do you sum up the situation?
It’s terrible. In my 46 years of life, I never experienced anything like this. Not just that, the world has never seen anything like this. And I hope nobody sees this situation again. The entire world is thinking how many people may die in the next two weeks! It’s unbelievable.
What is the message in this for all of us?
The message is loud and clear. Look after yourself and the people around you. Basically, be patient. It’s difficult because you are stuck at home, stopped on the road by the authorities when trying to go out. So it’s about being patient. Just bite the bullet and let this time pass.
What about the future of IPL this year?
We keep monitoring developments. At the present moment, we can’t say anything. And what is there to say anyway? Airports are shut, people are stuck at home, offices are locked down, nobody can go anywhere. And it seems this is how it's going to be till the middle of May. Where will you get players from, where do players travel. It’s just simple common sense that at the moment, nothing is in favour of any kind of sport anywhere in the world, forget IPL.
Is an announcement on IPL deferral expected soon?
I will be able to give an update on that on Monday after speaking to the other office-bearers (of BCCI). But practically speaking, when life has come to a standstill everywhere in the world, where does sport have a future in this.
How is the experience of lending a helping hand?
It’s been good, great actually, to help people. I see a lot of people doing it all over the world and all over the country. That’s how it should be at times like this. Every person should help the other in whatever way possible. It can be in a small way, it can be in a big way. We should find a chance to help people around us because it’s such an unprecedented situation for the world.
What is the lesson from situations like this?
The lesson is, it’s one life. So be happy, live everyday and live up to potential. Nobody had seen or expected this. But the unexpected happens at times. You just have live your life in whatever way you can and do what makes you happy. That’s very important.
Your tenure as BCCI president ends later this year (around July) unless the Supreme Court accepts the appeal to revise the cooling-off rule. Your thoughts?
At the moment the courts are closed. So we have no update on that. There is time. And whatever will happen will happen. This is not in our control.
How do you spend time at home?
Locked down like everyone else, I am at home with family. These are rare moments in the sense that others normally stay at home. I don't. That has changed. I’m doing some BCCI and ICC work. I rest, watch a bit of TV, do a bit of fitness training at the gym I have at home.