Breaking his silence over his omission from India’s ODI team, Sourav Ganguly has said it was “disappointing” when his one-day record was only next best after Sachin Tendulkar, but he had “accepted” the selectors’ decision.
A reticent former Indian captain was unwilling to be drawn into any discussion on his being ignored but even then his hurt shows.
“I am disappointed just like any other cricketer in not being a part of the one-day side as I had a great year last year and my one-day record is probably the next best after Sachin. It is disappointing but then I have accepted it”, he told PTI in an interview.
Ganguly refused to answer questions about reports that he and Rahul Dravid were left out of the ODI team on the insistence of skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. “I do not want to talk about it,” he said.
Following are the other points made by the elegant left hander who was named alongwith Sachin Tendulkar as the BCCI’s “players for the period October 07 to January 08” for their exploits in the Test series against Pakistan at home and against Australia Down Under:
On whether experience should be sacrificed for youth and whether India was going in the right direction in preparing for the 2011 World Cup: I know my answer, but I keep it with myself. I must say that 2011 World Cup is still a long way away. But I have a lot of faith in Dilip Vengsarkar somebody whom I respect quite a lot and I am sure good things will happen under him.
On how many years the ‘golden four’ of Indian cricket — Sachin Tendulkar, himself, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman — expect to play: It is difficult to say how many more years we all will play. It depends on performance, because that’s what matters.
On whether the Indian team need a coach since it has performed well without one and whether Indian cricket had learnt any lessons from the Greg Chappell episode: The team has got Gary Kirsten as the coach. He was with us in Australia during the last two Test matches and we look forward to exciting times ahead with him. Regarding the Greg Chappell episode, I do not want to talk about it.
On Anil Kumble as a captain and what are his strengths: I think he has done fantastically well as the captain. His strength is his man management skills and the tremendous confidence he has in his players.
On use of technology in umpiring: I think there should be a balance of technology in the umpires role. But we must realise that we all make mistakes. As a cricketer, I feel that if the field umpires get a bit of help in the matter of the front foot no ball from the technology as they have in tennis, that they can concentrate and look only towards the batsman and that can reduce mistakes, because things happen fast in the cricket field.
