Ahmedabad: Sourav Ganguly’s appeal on Saturday that the “team needs to be supported and not an individual”, and that he “respects the selectors’ decision” has gone down very well with the new Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sharad Pawar.

“I’m very happy with the appeal. It speaks volumes of his greatness. That’s the right spirit,” said Pawar in nearby Motera on Sunday.

The Union minister feels the former India captain still has lots of cricket left in him. “He is a great player. There is a lot of cricket left in him. There are bound to be ups and downs in one’s career, but I’m sure he will bounce back.”

Pawar, who watched the proceedings of the opening day of the third Test till lunch, besides being present at the felicitation of Anil Kumble and Sachin Tendulkar, will be here again on the final day.

He reiterated again that he does not want to involve himself in selection matters. “Former eminent cricketers are doing the job. I don’t want to influence their decision. But if there’s a mistake we can discuss it.”

He is not for discussing it in Parliament either and would request the speaker not to initiate it. “If such things happen, people with individual interests might influence the game. Cricket will not be cricket in such a scenario. I don’t want to politicise the game. I have given my life to politics, but when in a sporting body I always keep such interests away.”

Agencies add: Meanwhile, Indian cricket board could take a leaf out of the book of its Pakistani counterpart in professionalising its set-up, according to the BCCI chief.

Giving the example of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which has different managers for matters related to cricket, Pawar said BCCI’s functioning could also be streamlined in a similar way.

“In Pakistan, I saw special officers being designated specific jobs. We may have as many as six managers handling different portfolios. I want a very strong, institutionalised set-up,” Pawar said.

Pawar said that he has asked TCS to take suggestions from former board presidents Jagmohan Dalmiya and Inderjit Singh Bindra.