'A World Cup Winner As BCCI President!'

It is widely being reported that Sourav Ganguly's tenure as BCCI president may end soon, with Roger Binny the frontrunner to succeed Dada.

Ravi Shastri says Binny ticks all the boxes to become a successful BCCI president and take Indian cricket forward.

'I'm delighted because he was my colleague in the World Cup. There's continuity there because he was president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association. So, he moves on to become president of the BCCI,' Shastri told veteran cricket journalist Ayaz Memon at the Mumbai Press Club on Wednesday.

'And I'm extremely happy because he's a World Cup winner who's the president for the first time in the history of the BCCI. His credentials are unquestionable. He's got all the boxes ticked to take up this post,' Shastri added.

'Binny is a very amiable guy, he has got a mind of his own. He might not be a flippant type, but when he opens his mouth, I'm sure that he will be heard, especially on cricketing matters,' Shastri pointed out.

'One area that he would look into -- and Indian cricket must look into -- is the fact that you have to make Indian cricket a spectator-friendly sport, so for me, the most important thing is that the facilities at the ground should be upgraded big time,' Shastri asserted.

'It should be insisted upon, with the kind of bucks coming into the sport, the kind of people who come into the ground, they've got to get the best facilities. If that happens, the popularity of the sport will soar even further,' Shastri stressed.

'Being a cricketer himself, he will ensure that the interest of cricketers is paramount, not the A tier that will sustain itself, but the grassroot level,' Shastri, who is also a colleague of Binny's daughter-in-law Mayanti Langer Binny in the Star Sports commentary box, added.

'Domestic cricket has been given a lot of attention to, but can be given a lot more attention.'