Calcutta: To the city’s cricketing fraternity, Sourav Ganguly’s omission from the Rest of India squad for the Irani Trophy came as a big surprise. Most of the former players felt the selectors were unjustified in their decision.

The Telegraph also spoke to some of the city-based players.

The following are excerpts (alphabetically):

SAMBARAN BANERJEE: It’s very unfortunate that a former captain is being treated like this… I would like to know the basis for the decision. The Fab Four didn’t do well in Sri Lanka but why only single out Sourav? And look who is the replacement… Mohammed Kaif, who had played his best cricket some ten years ago! This sort of judgement sends the wrong signals to the youngsters.

GOPAL BOSE: They (the selectors) don’t want him. It’s as simple as that. They dropped him earlier also but he was back with a bang. Just after a phenomenal 2007 they decided to drop him… I just don’t understand the reason. There must be some decency when you are deciding anything about a former captain who not only glorified the game, but the nation too. Just think when they made him the captain. It was when the game was going through the match-fixing controversy. He not only got the country out of it but also induced the fighting spirit among the players.

UTPAL CHATTERJEE: It’s unfair to treat a senior player like him in this manner. For one bad series you cannot drop an experienced cricketer like Sourav. If Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and V.V.S. Laxman can be selected then why will Sourav be dropped? I feel it’s a matter of time and Sourav will be back in the team. Just wait…

DEVANG GANDHI: I feel it’s an unfair decision. How can the selectors drop a person who was the highest scorer last season! He definitely should have been in the side. You cannot write off an experienced customer like him after one bad series. I am a bit upset with the way they are treating him. Look at the Australian selectors. We should follow what they did to Steve Waugh. They respect their players. It sends a wrong message to the youngsters. But I feel they should have given him one more chance. There are several players in the Rest of India squad who in the last series fared badly if you compare them to Dadi. The yardstick should be the same for everybody… It can’t be different for Sourav.

ARUN LAL: I feel it’s the selectors call. But you can never write him (Sourav) off… I had once made the mistake of writing him off… But he was back with a bang. You cannot consider the end for Sourav until he himself feels so… I feel there is still some more cricket left in him.