Thursday, December 15, 2005

Why it was a wise move to throw out Ganguly

By John Cheeran
Now it is clear that who was carrying Sourav Ganguly in the team for the last five years.
Jagmohan Dalmiya, Indian cricket’s Mr Casting Voter and Super Selector is shocked by the “injustice done to Ganguly.”
Really? Injustice! The meaning is that if he were the board supremo, he would have called up his cronies in the selection committee and gave them the necessary tips.
Is it any wonder that Dalmiya’s and Ganguly’s splendid careers have come to an end at the same time?
I was also touched by former national selector Sambaran Banerjee’s grief.
To sound grand, Banerjee said he had no problems in Ganguly getting dropped. (See the difference between the sorrows)
His problem is that selectors have chosen an opener, Mumbai’s Wasim Jaffer, instead of a middle order batsman.
Banerjee has no option but to admit that Jaffer is in terrific form in Ranji Trophy this season. He says Jaffer is a good batsman.
But Banerjee wants an eye for an eye.
Former selector wants a middle order bat for a middle order bat.
When you will grow up, Banerjee?
Don’t you know that there is no room in the Indian middle order?
Yuvraj Singh has staked his claims for No. 6 slot with an impressive, unbeaten 77 in the second innings of New Delhi Test. Even if Yuvraj fails there, the next man selectors should consider is not Ganguly but the ebullient Mohammad Kaif.
With Yuvraj and Kaif to guard the middle order in the team only some silly asses from East Zone could have gone for another middle order batsman..
To remind Banerjee and other professional protestors in Calcutta, Virender Sehwag is still alive as an opener and Indian vice-captain.
If you care to remember, even in the New Delhi Test, skipper Rahul Dravid created room for Ganguly and Yuvraj by switching the openers in both innings.
But Team India will prefer to have settled openers if possible. Selectors have retained Gautam Gambhir in the side, despite his twin failures in Delhi, since they feel the youngster deserves more opportunities at the top.
May be, selectors should have considered Ganguly as an opener in place of the failed Gambhir.
But I remember last time Ganguly sneaked into the team posing as an all rounder.
Here is a word of advice for Ganguly’s apologists who cannot see beyond their nose.
Do not stretch the Ganguly myth too far…lest it become a joke!

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