The long goodbye

Sir — Nothing less could have been expected of a judicious and self-respecting cricketer like Sourav Ganguly than the decision to bow out of international cricket after the Test series against Australia (“Sourav to quit after Aussie tests”, Oct 8). After an illustrious career, Ganguly surely does not need to prove his mettle time and again to the selection committee. Instead of quietly swallowing the ignominy of being shown the door after each dry spell, he has acted in good faith by announcing his retirement. It is time perhaps for some of his contemporaries like Anil Kumble and Sachin Tendulkar to consider pulling themselves out too, before it is too late. With the newly introduced Indian Premier League and Indian Cricket League, the word ‘retirement’ has also been drastically redefined. Players may quit international cricket but they continue to remain in the limelight and earn incredible sums by playing the league matches.

Yours faithfully,
A.S. Mehta, Calcutta

Sir — Sourav Ganguly boasted perfect timing as a batsman. He has demonstrated this gift yet again, this time getting the timing absolutely right off the field, by announcing his retirement from the game. It is always best for a sportsman to quit while he is at the peak of his form, rather than linger on till such time as when he is no longer wanted in the team. Barring the series against Sri Lanka , Ganguly has been in exemplary form since his comeback last year. But Ganguly’s biggest contribution to Indian cricket goes beyond his personal achievements — under his leadership, Team India saw the evolution of a group of extremely talented cricketers. The high point of his career was, undoubtedly, the 2003 World Cup final. Although India lost the final, Ganguly was praised by all and sundry for his exceptional leadership skills. One hopes that the Board of Control for Cricket in India will, for once, acknowledge Ganguly’s contribution to the game, and give him a grand farewell befitting the stature of this great player.

Yours faithfully,
Ambar Mallick, Calcutta

Sir — One cannot agree more with the editorial comment that a player is the best person to decide whether or not to continue playing the game (“Prince bows out”, Oct 9). Ganguly has made a difficult, but nonetheless, correct decision to quit international cricket. The former captain has always been respected for his uprightness and this decision will enhance his prestige in the cricketing world further. Ganguly played cricket like a gentleman and we hope that he would impart that spirit in our youngsters by taking up coaching in the future.

Yours faithfully,
M.S. Quraishy, Calcutta

Sir — Indian cricket has undoubtedly produced a number of legends over the years, but few come close to Dada in terms of charisma and attitude. Aggression, leadership and resilience are the key elements of Sourav Ganguly’s personality. Since his resurgence in international cricket in 1996, there has not been a single series in which Ganguly has played the game half-heartedly. After he fell foul of Greg Chappell, he rose from the ashes to cement his position in the squad with his grit and determination. It is a mark of his character that Ganguly has bid goodbye to the game on his own terms, thereby setting another example for his peers and juniors to follow.

Yours faithfully,
Kisholoy Roy, Calcutta

Sir — Sourav Ganguly’s decision to retire from international cricket, although welcome, is a trifle surprising. Ganguly has changed Indian cricket with his astute leadership, despite the presence of his numerous detractors — Kiran More, Greg Chappell, Raj Singh Dungarpur and even, to some extent, Ravi Shastri who were almost too eager to discredit him at the slightest pretext. Ganguly’s absence from Indian cricket will be keenly felt, as it would not be easy to find a suitable replacement for a player of his calibre. It must be admitted that never before had a world-class cricketer been subjected to such humiliation as has been unleashed on Ganguly. The decision to drop him from the Ahmedabad game against Sri Lanka, in 2005, even after a decent outing in the previous match in Delhi, would surely come at the top of the list of insults. This was followed by Chappell’s infamous accusation that Ganguly played cricket for money. Ganguly, in times of trouble, did not seem to get even a bit of moral support from his seniors in the team. But endurance and determination are the hallmarks of his character which he will always carry beyond his life on the field.

Yours faithfully,
Debasish Chatterjee, Calcutta

Sir — It is possible that Sourav Ganguly has not announced his retirement voluntarily, but rather he was coaxed into it. Throughout his career, The Telegraph has judged Ganguly rather harshly. The editorial, “Prince bows out”, is hardly any different. Ganguly's recent performance has been head-and-shoulders above his teammates since he was recalled to the team. As for his age, well, Ganguly alone cannot be called ‘old’: Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid or V.V.S Laxman deserve the same epithet. Ganguly had been in scintillating form last year, and his failure in a single Test series (against Sri Lanka) seemed to have prompted the selectors to axe him from the Irani Trophy. Strangely, not a finger was raised at Tendulkar or the other senior players who had performed as badly. When a senior, successful cricketer is asked to prove his worth again and again, it is bound to hurt his self-esteem at some point. It is a tragedy of Indian cricket that far from giving due respect to Ganguly — probably the most successful skipper ever — he has been shown the door in the most disgraceful manner.

Yours faithfully,
K. Chatterjee, Calcutta

Sir — Sourav Ganguly’s decision to quit came as a shock. Every player has to make way for someone younger, sooner or later. But does India have anyone who can replace Ganguly just yet? The touring Australian team struggled with both the bat and the ball during the four-day practice match and there is every possibility that the Bengali left-hander would get back his magic touch with the bat in this series against the Australian bowlers. Ganguly could have easily stretched his illustrious Test career till the England series. But alas, that is not to be.

Yours faithfully,
Subhayu Saha,

Khagra, Murshidabad