Pataudi

New Delhi: With the Indian team having returned to winning ways, former captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi said on Tuesday Sourav Ganguly’s comeback to the national squad appeared bleak following the impressive performance by the newcomers.

“Competition for a berth in the Indian team has now drastically increased. And it is all the more difficult to return once you are out of the team,” Pataudi said in an interview.

“I am not saying that Sourav is not successful but he will have to be really among the runs to stake a claim in the team,” he said.

When asked if Sachin Tendulkar could return to the team after six months why Sourav could not, he said “the biggest difference between the two is that Sourav’s weakness is exposed to the bowlers world over but no one can say that about Sachin.”

Pataudi, who became the youngest captain of India, also praised the players for improving the traditionally weak areas of their game.

“Indian team has now started doing well in the areas which were its weak links so far. The fielding department has improved a lot,” Pataudi said.

“Our bowling has also become much better now, fielding is still improving and most significantly players are very confident,” he said.

He said any cricketer’s potential could be known in three or four matches and the youngsters have proved themselves.

“Three or four matches are enough to evaluate a player, then luck also is a factor,” he said.

Patuadi also supported Chappell on developing Virender Sehwag as a leader. “Sehwag has leadership qualities and if he has to be given the responsibility, he must have experience as well,” he said.

He said Mahendra Singh Dhoni had solved India’s requirement of a good wicketkeeper-batsman and believed that the team now needed one allrounder like Jacques Kallis of South Africa or Andrew Flintoff of England.

“But getting a Flintoff or a Kallis is a matter of luck,” he said.

Meanwhile, spin legend Erapalli Prasanna also felt that there is no place for Sourav in the one-day squad, though he could be considered in Tests.

“In the present scenario, I don’t see any place for him. He may bat explosively, but in ODI one has to field explosively too for 50 overs. And that’s his minus point,” Prasanna said.

The crafty off-spinner of the 1960s and 1970s said in the limited over variety of the game, players of the ability of Yuvraj Singh, Mohammed Kaif and Suresh Raina were needed when the side was on the field.