What Can We Do?

By John Cheeran
From the What Can We Do? response the BCCI has awoken finally.
Sourav Ganguy has been told to play a Ranji Trophy match before he can cross theborder to Pakistan.
Vice-captain Virender Sehwag, who had led Delhi to victory in its last match, however, had requested board to let him play the next Ranji match against Karnataka in Bangalore.
Sehwag’s keenens to play in the domestic championaship is in sharp contrast to the haughty attitude of Ganguly.
Leg-spinner Anil Kumble and second wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel were also told by the BCCI to play in a Ranji Trophy match before arriving in Pakistan.
This decision has been taken after consulting India captain Rahul Dravid, coach Greg Chappell and selection committee chairman Kiran More and has been approved by Board president Sharad Pawar, BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah said.
Shah said that these four players would be reaching Pakistan after playing for their respective state teams in the Ranji Trophy Elite Division league matches (round 6) beginning January 3. "We have taken this decision as we thought that all players chosen for the tour will not be needed to play the opening tour three-day warm-up game on January seven. We also wanted to give importance to domestic cricket," Shah told PTI from Rajkot.
The decision also follows controversy over Ganguly's absence in Surat and Selection Committee Chairman Kiran More expressing his displeasure over it. He had written to Shah as to why Ganguly was not playing in the Ranji match. Ganguly had made his re-entry into the Test side after being omitted from the team for the third Test against Sri Lanka played in Ahmedabad.
The new turn of events will mean that a struggling Ganguly, Sehwag, Kumble and Patel will miss the three-daywarmup match before the first Test. The four players shall join the rest of the team in Pakistan on January 7.
Indian team will leave for Pakistan tour on January 5. The first Test in Lahore starts on January 13.