Shame on you, Pawar and Shah!

By John Cheeran
I'm stunned.
Not because Sourav Ganguly acted the Maharaj again and ran away from his Ranji Trophy commitments.
I'm shocked only by the indifferent stance the BCCI, guardian of the game in India, has taken on this issue.
I read an AFP report from New Delhi that quoted the BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah "What can we do if he (Ganguly) does not play?"
Oh! How feckless people can become?
If Ganguly is not willing to play for Bengal, he also does not deserve to play for India. That's the message Ganguly should be given by the BCCI. Pawar should stop acting as court jester to Ganguly and take decisions that befit the office of the Indian cricket board president.
But Pawar and Shah are not bothered what happens to cricket in India and to Team India. It does not matter to them if the Prince of manipulators wreck the team spirit during the sensitive tour to Pakistan.
As long as they can keep their bum in the BCCI chairs, they will let anyone do anything.
Keeping track of Ganguly since he made his debut in international cricket in1992, I have known him as a brazen and arrogant fellow; not willing to work hard for his success.
Nothing has forced me to revise that opinion in the last few weeks.
I'm not at all surprised at Ganguly staying away from the indignity of a RanjiTrophy contest, especially when BCCI has plumped new lows by giving him the Grade A bounty. It has been nothing but politics at its worst.
Now we are getting to see the after effects of the Pawar equations. In nine Tests Ganguly played in 2005, his batting average has been less than 25. But powerful backers have given Ganguly a ticket to Pakistan and Grade A contract. That's all for being in the wretched form that he is in right now.
I'm sending all my sympathies to chairman of selectors Kiran More. I believe More deserves it and I'm sure I will not be a loner in doing this.
At a time when journalists are sucking up to Ganguly and his lobby, More has dared to point his finger at Ganguly for not playing the Ranji Trophy games. It should have been pointed out by the mainstream media.
To put it on therecord, I had blogged on the subject when Ganguly similarly skipped Bengal's match against Karnataka in Mysore. More has rightfully expressed his opinion. He was, after all, a party in dragging Ganguly back into the Team India.
The agency report quotes More "I am surprised and shocked that Sourav is not playing against Gujarat." The four-day game began in Surat on Sunday while Ganguly spent Christmas with his family in Kolkata. "This was the ideal time to get some match practice before the Pakistan tour. I demand an explanation because he missed the previous match against Karnataka aswell."
More said he had asked Bengal selector Pranob Roy and team coach Paras Mhambreyto ensure Ganguly played first-class cricket after being dropped from the third Test against Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad. "I was told they were unable to contact Ganguly and then I learnt he had asked not to be considered for the two matches," More said.
Five other players selected for Pakistan -- Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Zaheer Khan, Venkatsai Laxman and Wasim Jaffar -- are turning out for their respective state teams in the latest round of Ranji Trophy matches.
Other Team India players, including captain Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar,were asked to rest by the team management after the busy home schedule. If there is a reason why Ganguly does not want to play Ranji games, it can beonly this -- he does not want to let Pakistan fast bowlers know how wretched a form he is in now.
Ganguly is gripped by the fear of failure.
Even a place in Team India has not given him the confidence to play domestic cricket. Till the other day -- West Bengal -- was crying that Ganguly was not given a chance to play; now when rest of the Team India members are playing for their Ranji Trophy sides, Bengal's hero has chosen to abandon the Bengali cause in domestic cricket.
Still they (Calcuttans) will rally to support Ganguly.
Because they deserve Ganguly.
Nothing better.