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It is time the selectors come clear on Sourav Ganguly once and for all, says former India fast bowler-turned commentator Javagal Srinath in a symposium in the city
MUMBAI: At the moment, no discussion on Indian cricket is complete without Sourav Ganguly. A symposium organised by Ten Sports and Press Club, Mumbai, inevitably landed at a point where Ganguly's inclusion in the Champions Trophy came under the scanner.
And former India fast bowler-turned commentator Javagal Srinath didn't hold back any punches about his viewpoint on the matter. "I am not doubting his selection, but I am not clear how he got into the list of probables for the Champions Trophy. It had nothing to do with form, but at a speculative level, everything to do with politics. I think it is time that we put our cricketing spectacles on and tell Ganguly that he is not in the team because he is not good enough as a player," said Srinath.
"We have to stop this cat and mouse game and see whether Ganguly has it in him to stage a comeback (into the final 14)," the 'Mysore Express' added.
Having been Ganguly's former teammate, Srinath then gave his take on the 'mechanism' that the Prince of Kolkata employs to get his way. "As a captain he had his way with the board (selectors) in getting the team he wanted. But afterwards it's through mere speculation that he has worked his way into the team," Srinath said.
Former Test cricketers-turned-commentators Laxman Sivaramakrishnan and Sanjay Manjrekar felt that Ganguly's inclusion in the final 14 depended on the form ofSuresh Raina and Dinesh Mongia. Srinath welcomed the inclusion of left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan in the probables list. "Khan should have been picked for Sri Lanka also," Srinath said.
The seminar touched on a variety of topics, which are of immense interest to Indian cricket, and several useful observations, which the cricket authorities would do good to make use of, were made.
The Lankan Challenge
A close examination of the significance of the tri-series in Sri Lanka, with just six months left for the World Cup, was done . "Any series abroad is extremely important for India, but considering that we have a World Cup to deal with, this tournament does hold significance," said Srinath, adding that perhaps for Indian coach Greg Chappell, this series could be a 'turnaround,' considering his failure so far in achieving significant one-day wins abroad. Siva pointed out that the pitches in the Emerald Isle were similar to those in the West Indies, but India could perform well in Colombo, regardless of the fact that they lost the ODI series in the Windies.
The discussion then veered to the Lankans' ability to dominate the opposition, including India, on their home turf.It was felt that a host of factors, like a sapping weather, slow and sluggish wickets, conviction to win, and above all master off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan combined to give the islanders a lethal look while playing in their own backyard.
"You just don't know how to beat the Lankans at Premadasa," said Srinath, complimenting the Lankans after watching them, in his debut as a match referee, annihilate the South Africans in the recent Test series.
The domestic help
Manjrekar agreed with the concept of including foreign stars in Ranji Trophy on the grounds that they would bring in loads of knowledge for the benefit of Indian first-class cricketers. Siva felt that the use of kookaburra balls in Duleep Trophy will make the Indian spinners 'complete'.
The Pathan problem
Left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan receiveda thumbs up from Srinath. "He should be persisted with, invested in. He is just 21. Not many people play the amount of international cricket he has already played by this age. In the West Indies, he looked tired -- perhaps a result of too much cricket and excessive work-outs, and over-reliance on his batting, which diverts him from his main function. All he has to do is add a yard of pace, and he should be back on song."
The Agarkar question
Srinath defended the much-argued policy to play Ajit Agarkar only in the one-dayers in recent times. "His body frame does not allow him to bowl long spells which the five-day version of the game requires. He should be left alone with one-day cricket, where he is doing a brilliant job," he said.
The Kumble return
The former India pacer criticised the continued exclusion of veteran leg-spinner Anil Kumble in the one-day scheme of things. "His not being there in the one-day team is inexplicable. He desperately wants to play one-day cricket. His inclusion is being unnecessarily delayed," he said. Srinath had an interesting take on what Kumble brings to the side. "With Anil around, you don't need a bowling coach. His wealth of experience could be crucial in grooming spinners as well as fast bowlers. He could be given a task in this regard," the 'Mysore Express' said. Some food for thought. Siva rounded off the topic by saying: "He is a better fielder than Romesh Powar."
The baggage with experience
With Srinath advocating for experienced players, Manjrekar pointed out the biggest flaw of this theory. "Ganguly's comeback won't help the fielding. Nor will Kumble, Zaheer or VVS Laxman's. Munaf Patel isn't a good fielder either, and there are some in this team already who have to be hidden on the field. So, where do you go on that aspect, which is critical, as far as the one-dayers are concerned?"the former middle-order batsman said.
Srinath, however, felt that the basic skills matter more.
Captain by example, no experiments
Srinath was impressed with Rahul Dravid's captaincy, saying that the Banglorean thrived in 'leading by his own performance.' "He is very methodical, won't take too much risk, but is extremely determined. He will back you only if he knows that you think about cricket from the depth of your heart," Srinath said, while stressing that the team needed to cut down on experiments. "It's time for India to stop the experiments and start winning," he said. "It's fine if we change the batting order when playing in India, where even if we reverse it and play without a coach, the team will still win. But the important and crucial thing is winning overseas," he added.
Chew on that. On the occasion, it was refreshing to hear former cricketers speak their mind on issues that Indian cricket needs to ponder over. Again and again.
