Sourav Ganguly to take over as CAB president tomorrow

KOLKATA: It will be the beginning of another innings for former India captain Sourav Ganguly who will be unanimously elected president of the Cricket Association of Bengal ( CAB) here tomorrow.

Having forayed into cricket administration as CAB joint secretary last year, Ganguly's ascent to the hot seat has come after the demise of Jagmohan Dalmiya on September 20.

With him becoming the president, Ganguly's post of joint secretary will be filled up by Avishek, and this will be the formal entry into cricket administration for Dalmiya's son.

It will just be a formality as the announcements were already made by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat Nabanna three days after Dalmiya's death.

Ganguly's professionalism was evident ahead of him taking over the hot seat as he roped in IDBI Federal Life Insurance as sponsor of Bengal teams for two years across all age groups at a glittering ceremony at Eden Gardens.

"I remember getting 400 when I started playing cricket... We hardly had any money then. I know the support of sponsors is so necessary," Ganguly said as Bengal unveiled their yellow-white jersey with captains Manoj Tiwary (senior), Sandipan Das (U-23) and Agniv Pan (U-19).

"I feel first class cricketers are a neglected group of people but that's where we produce the cricketers. Hope it's the beginning of somethings good," Ganguly said.

Ganguly also turned emotional when clipping of his first century at the Eden in the fag end of his career was shown in an AV.

Having scored a century in his debut Test at the Lord's in 1996, it took Ganguly 11 years to score a ton at home -- in December 2007 against the Test versus Pakistan.

"It was a special moment... my dad who was ill gave me the biggest hug of his life and told me 'it's the biggest moment of his life'."

"It took me so long as I was too caught up with everyone's expectations of playing at home... I was so worked up. It would have been a gap had I not scored the century," an emotional Ganguly said.