BCCI president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday credited coach Greg Chappell with shaping up the Indian team and improving the general quality of cricket in the country.
"I have talked to the players and others as well and all of them have confided that Chappell is doing a fine job. It is he who has helped in improving general quality of Indian cricket," Pawar told reporters in Jaipur.
The Union Agriculture Minister, who is in Jaipur on an invitation from the state unit of NCP, also sought to bury the controversy over the selection of Sourav Ganguly for the Pakistan tour.
"There was no pressure on selectors to pick him in the team. Earlier we used to send a 15-member team but now it is a 16-member team, the selectors felt that Ganguly merited selection."
Asked if there was pressure on the selectors to pick him in the squad after it was reported that the matter would be discussed in Parliament, a palpably irritated Pawar said Parliament had no business to discuss selection issues.
"Tell me, who was going to answer the debate in Parliament? Sports Minister? He does not know what are the selection matters. I feel such issues should be kept away from Parliament.
"Ganguly is a great player and he has contributed immensely to Indian cricket. He is going through a lean phase. Even Sachin Tendulkar was going through a similar lean phase until he hit that record 35th Test hundred.
{{/usCountry}}"Ganguly is a great player and he has contributed immensely to Indian cricket. He is going through a lean phase. Even Sachin Tendulkar was going through a similar lean phase until he hit that record 35th Test hundred.
{{/usCountry}}"Ups and downs are part of the game. The team management will decide how to use Ganguly in the forthcoming series," said Pawar adding sarcastically that everybody in India was a selector and every channel was busy advocating players associated with them.