Snubbed out

Sir ? Sourav Ganguly need not be surprised at being out of the Asian XV that will play three one-day internationals against Africa (?Sourav explodes at Asia selection snub?, Aug 1). What else did he expect since the Indian representative in the selectors? committee was the ex-cricketer from Mumbai, Ravi Shastri? Mumbai has dominated Indian cricket ever since the country started playing international test cricket in 1932. During the time Sunil Gavaskar was playing and Raj Singh Dungarpur was selector, the Suru Nayaks and Ramnath Parkars played while Mohinder Amarnath cooled his heels. Gavaskar ensured Kapil Dev sat out to keep Gundappa Vishwanath?s record intact. As for Shastri, the less said the better. Allegedly, it was he and another opener who spread the canard about Sourav being reluctant to carry drinks as twelfth man. Cricket-lovers will remember that when Indian cricket was going through bad days ? with rumours of match-fixing against top players doing the rounds and Sachin Tendulkar proving unable to deal with the demands of captaincy ? Sourav took charge. India learnt to look the Aussies in the eye, and the rest is history. If Kapil Dev brought us the World Cup, Sourav is the only other one to take us nearest to it.

Indian cricket has always been beset by arbitrary decisions by individuals who thought they were bigger than the game. Recollect how a young Imran Khan hit Bishan Singh Bedi out of the ground to win the Faislabad test. Any captain at that juncture would have given the ball to Kapil. But Bedi did not, and India lost. Therefore, Sourav need not be disgusted.

Yours faithfully,
Partha De Sarkar, Calcutta

Sir ? The exclusion of Sourav Ganguly from the Asia one-day squad is not entirely unexpected. His recent form in international matches has been far from good. If he delivers the goods in the ongoing Sri Lanka tri-series, he can probably be considered. In any case, selection in such squads is never a big deal.

Yours faithfully,
Arjun Chaudhuri, Calcutta

Sir ? India?s loss to Sri Lanka in the second match of the Indian Oil cup on Saturday has proved Sourav Ganguly?s importance to the Indian team. Although Sourav had not been batting well for some time, he contributed as captain. He made it a habit of taking the right decision at the right moment which often ended up clinching the match for India. The ICC?s decision to cut short the ban on him, and dada?s coming back into the team again is good news for the Indian team and our cricket fans.

Yours faithfully,
Bhaskar Pratap Swain, Cuttack

Sir ? It seems that the Indian cricket team has many ?well-wishers? who aren?t too happy with Justice Albie Sachs?s decision to cut short the ban on Sourav Ganguly. They are busy speculating about what possible impact Sourav?s return to the team might have, creating confusion in the minds of the people as well as the players. This also threatens to disrupt the long-standing understanding that Sourav and Rahul Dravid have shared. The motives of such people should be exposed.

Yours faithfully,
Ipsita Bhattacharya, Calcutta

Sir ? Sourav Ganguly?s being dropped from the Asian XV in Sri Lanka brings to mind a similar incident involving S. Venkataraghavan. The off-spinner, then captain of India, was dropped for the test match against West Indies in 1973 in Delhi, and later from the team itself for the subsequent test in Calcutta. Such is the mockery that is the selection process and the humiliation even a former captain has to face.

Yours faithfully,
R. Sekar, Angul

Sir ? The problem with Sourav Ganguly is that as he went about transforming a team with sagging morale into a winning combination, winning the admiration of many cricket-lovers in India and abroad, he also awakened jealousy in a lot of hearts. Now that his career is at a critical juncture, these people are naturally trying to hit him hard. The problem with Sourav is his arrogance and aggression. He is not a decent boy in the Rahul Dravid mould. He never minces his words and never shows undue respect to anybody including commentators, experts, former players and officials, whether Indians or Englishmen, Australians or West Indians.

It may be a blessing that Sourav is no longer captain. The controversy was not helping his game. He should retain his cool even when provoked by the press and should concentrate only on his batting. Despite pressure being put on him from all quarters, Sourav must perform, and he knows best that he will not get many more opportunities for that. He got past the magic five-figure mark in his tally of ODI runs yesterday, but it is more important that he score his 23rd ODI century in this tournament. That will give him the confidence which he seems to have temporarily lost. After all, there was never a doubt about his class.

Yours faithfully,
Pradip K. Ray, Guwahati