Former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi has praised the induction of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman into BCCI's cricket advisory committee as a step in the right direction but cautioned that their roles should be clearly defined.
"I think it is the step in the right direction, provided they (BCCI) are able to define the positive role of the advisory committee. We will have to see what kind of an authority does this committee have? And it's very nice that people like Sachin, Laxman and Ganguly have offered to come forward," Bedi told PTI.
"But again the whole thing has to be defined properly by the BCCI. It should not be a one off kind of thing which is a shot in the air. It has to be properly defined and properly implemented with clear cut role for all three of them. Along with it the accountability factor. That is the way to go forward, because today we are in a very highly professional world," the legendary spinner added.
Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman will guide the Board and the national team on various "progressive steps" needed for future challenges, but Bedi wants the legendary trio to play a concrete part in the game's management.
"A casual advise is what is not needed from the advisory committee, with the final call coming from the BCCI and that kind of an arrangement will not be desirable. Their role should not be overlapping in any way," the former India skipper said.
Always a strong advocate of having an Indian for the coach's job, Bedi once again reiterated his stance of keeping a home-grown man as the new mentor in the national team.
"Whoever is involved in which whatever capacity, I would like it to be done by an Indian. If India is concerned then the involvement of an Indian is a must. I have always believed that an Indian must handle it (the role of coach or manager) and it is the job of the board to find a suitable candidate," he said.
With some veteran players also wanting a slice of the pie, Bedi believes that these recently retired players are right candidates to ideate on the modern game.
"These are recently retired people, familiar with the recent ideas of the game. If there are players from the bygone era, who are commentating and writing about the game then it is up to BCCI to take a call," he said
"But whatever you do it has to be with an open mind. You can't be cramped in your outlook. What we are talking is for the betterment of Indian cricket," he added.
