Dogged concerns

Sir ? Americans are justifiably concerned about their president?s safety. After all, Bush Jr has not exactly endeared himself to a large section of the world?s population. But letting sniffer dogs loose at Rajghat is surely taking things a little too far (?American dog at samadhi has Rajghat staff sniffing?, Mar 4). Those in charge of Bush?s security should not have allowed the dogs near Gandhi?s memorial if they had some respect for Indian sentiments. Or are we to understand that American mongrels are better at protecting their president than his gun-toting bodyguards?

Yours faithfully,
Neeladri Mukherjee, Calcutta

A door closes

Sir ? Sourav Ganguly?s omission from the Indian side for the one-dayers in Pakistan and the subsequent test series against England did not come as a surprise (?End of play stares at Sourav,? Feb 24). With a man like Greg Chappell at the helm of cricketing affairs, this was a foregone conclusion. But if one were to look back on Ganguly?s tenure as the Indian captain, one would have to agree that he had done a good job of leading a talented but inconsistent side like India. Ganguly, unlike his successor, Rahul Dravid, can stoke up the spirit of the team. Dravid is certainly a good cricketer but is not captain material. If anyone needs to be shown the door, it should be Greg Chappell. Someone needs to remind Chappell that an ability to make power-point presentations and dictate terms do not automatically make a person a great coach.

Yours faithfully,
Shuvam Roy, London, UK

Sir ? I strongly believe that the Indian cricket coach, Greg Chappell, has not treated Sourav Ganguly well. India has achieved a lot of success under Ganguly. India reached the finals of the last World Cup and also won a test series outside the subcontinent after 19 long years under him. Not only that, no other captain has won as many test matches as Ganguly. What makes the dropping of Ganguly more difficult to understand is the fact that the former Indian captain is a far better player in one-dayers than in test matches. He has also been in good form of late, and, according to former greats, is one of the finest motivators in the game. When he was appointed the captain of India, five years ago, Indian cricket was in doldrums. But Ganguly, almost single-handedly, united the team and transformed it into a champion side. Cricket lovers should raise their voice against the injustice meted out to one of India?s greatest cricketers who has also been one of India?s greatest captains.

Yours faithfully,
Atanu Dutta, Calcutta

Sir ? Now that Greg Chappell and Kiran More have got rid of Ganguly, they would need to appoint a full-time secretary to handle the hate mail from Calcutta. However, by axing Ganguly, Chappell has sent a strong message to the team before the World Cup. Senior cricketers will now realize that no one is indispensable. The openings in the national team are few in number, and it is not easy for players to hold on to their places in the face of the tough competition. If a reigning captain can be dumped with ease, out-of-form players will also stop taking their place in the team for granted. Cricketers spending too much time on TV may end up with egg on their face.

Yours faithfully,
Arpa Ghosh, Calcutta

Sir ? Messrs Chappell and More have finally succeeded in ridding the Indian cricket team of Sourav Ganguly. In India, any kind of a loss is associated with the notion of sacrifice. Hence, to mourn the former captain?s expulsion, I have decided not to watch cricket matches featuring India till the end of the next World Cup and to devote my time to other fruitful pursuits.

Yours faithfully,
A. Sen, Mumbai