CAB hails Dalmiya's oceanic contribution to cricket

Hailing Jagmohan Dalmiya's "oceanic" contributions as a cricket administrator, former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Thursday said the game was in safe hands with him at the helm.

Dalmiya, who recently made an uncontested comeback as full-time president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), was felicitated by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) at a ceremony here that was graced by several former cricketers. Dalmiya is also the CAB president.

"We have been proud of you for the last 20 years and will always be. With you cricket is in safe hands," Ganguly, also the CAB joint secretary, said at the event.

"He has been a proven administrator and we can only hope of better things from him," he said.

Dalmiya has held the top post in CAB since 1993 except for a 19-month hiatus after he resigned in December 2006 on being expelled from the Board of Control for Cricket in India on charges of embezzlement.

Besides all the CAB affiliated clubs and host of coaching centres, Dalmiya was felicitated by cricket associations from Karnataka, Goa, Chhattisgarh and Baroda.

"He has served cricket in a fantastic way and thoroughly deserves all the accolades," said Karnataka State Cricket Association secretary Brijesh Patel.

The felicitation ceremony, which went on for nearly three hours, ended on an anti-climax as the 74-year-old Dalmiya, feeling uncomfortable, left the venue without having a word with waiting media persons.

"He is not feeling well," an aide said, as Dalmiya came down the dais and walked away to his car.

"Not today, I will later give you lot of opportunities to click my photo," a visibly tired Dalmiya said, before the vehicle sped away.