Ganguly likely to join FTP working group

NEWDELHI: The working group of the BCCI on ICC Futures Tours & Programme (FTP) will have former India captain Sourav Ganguly in all likelihood, while CEO Rahul Johri will only be included if COA puts pressure on the office-bearers.

On Monday last, the BCCI general body decided to form a working group that will study the new FTP, where the Indian team plays 81 matches at home across three formats during the five-year-cycle from 2019-2023.

The working group is expected to have three principal officebearers (acting president CK Khanna, acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhary, treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhry) and the mem- bers that they will be co-opting.

There is a possibility that each zone will be represented by a member. Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Ganguly is one name that every officebearer wants in the panel.

“Both acting secretary and treasurer believe that Ganguly should be included as this is a purely cricket related issue. A cricketer of his stature giving inputs on FTP would be a great thing,” said a senior official, who was present at the SGM.

However, it is learnt that office-bearers are not exactly on the same page whether to include Johri in the working group as a permanent member or summon him as a special invitee if need be, so that they don’t incur the wrath of COA chief Vinod Rai.