Sourav Ganguly’s exclusion: A wrong decision by selectors!

ON JANUARY 20, the national selectors had dropped these senior players from the 16 member squad for the one twenty20 match against Australia on February 1, and the tri series featuring Australia and Sri Lanka, beginning from February 3. VVS Laxman, who made valuable contributions in the ongoing test series against Australia, has also been left out from ODI team.

Uttar Pradesh pacer, Praveen Kumar and left hand batsman Suresh Raina found the place in final 16 due to their superb performance in Ranji Trophy. Ishant Sharma, who had dismissed Australian captain Ricky Ponting in both the innings of the Perth test, has also been included in the ODI team. The 16 member team includes, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Yuvraj Singh (vice-captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Robin Uthappa, S Sreesanth, R P Singh, Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Piyush Chawla, Praveen Kumar and Dinesh Karthik. Munaf Patel, Yusuf Pathan and Manoj Tiwary have been included as standby players, who may join the team in case of any injury to players.

The BCCI’s (Board of Control for Cricket in India) decision has surprised everyone and resulted in massive protests in Ganguly’s hometown Kolkata. As the news of Ganguly was made public, his fans took to the streets of Kolkata. In Kolkata, Ganguly’s fans burnt effigies of the BCCI president Sharad Pawar. Ganguly’s fans also raised slogans against Pawar and demanded Ganguly’s inclusion with posters asking to ‘Bring dada back’. On Ganguly’s exclusion issue the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) said “grave injustice” had been done and said that it would lodge a protest against the BCCI. Talking to media, CAB joint secretary said, “What has been done is totally wrong, grave injustice is being done to him.” He also said, “It seems Dhoni did not want him in the side. Dhoni is more comfortable with juniors so he is in favour of axing seniors. But we will not sit idle. We will lodge a strong protest.”

While talking about the exclusion of Ganguly and Dravid, BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said, “The emphasis was on fielding abilities and they wanted a young fielding side for the series. That’s why you see a lot of youngsters in the side. The three selectors here had a teleconference with two of their colleagues (Ranjib Biswal and Venkatapathy Raju) and MS Dhoni, who are in Australia, after which the team was selected.”

However, about Ganguly’s possibilities of getting back into the ODI team, BCCI secretary Shah had said, “He is a great player and can come back.”

Ganguly, also known as the ‘Prince of Kolkata’, is a very tough man, as he has already proved in past by making a sensational come back. Surely he will come back into the national side very soon. But, putting much faith on the youngsters at the cost of aggressive and experienced player like Ganguly, seems like an injustice.

If the selectors can include Virender Sehwag in the team, then Ganguly too deserves his place in the team. Most importantly, Australia and Sri Lanka are tough ODI sides and the team needs experienced players like Sourav Ganguly. Now that the team’s responsibility has fallen on the shoulders of youngsters, we should hope for the best. For the selectors we can only hope that they think twice before axing in-form batsman like Ganguly from the team.

According to the BCCI, the decision has been taken by keeping in mind the future prospects of the game. If we consider the statement of BCCI, then it seems that these senior players have been dropped from the side due to below par performances. We do agree that Rahul Dravid had a poor performance in ODI series against Pakistan and Australia, but Ganguly did fairly well with the bat as well as with the ball. So, dropping Ganguly is an injustice done by the BCCI.

During the Pakistan series, after striking double century in Bangalore, Sourav Ganguly do mentioned that he had suffered step-attitude of national selectors in past and got a bad treatment from them. This time too, the selector’s decision had surely disappointed Sourav Ganguly and his fans, and it may affect his game in the future.

Ganguly out of ODI's ,Recommended by Dhoni.?

While dropping of Ganguly is not at all a good decision especially for the triangular series against Australia, i do
not think that the decision is not only based on the recommendation of Dhoni as selectors have final say inn selection of players.

Hayden to Harbhajan: It's racial vilification, mate

Transcript of audio picked up from the Nine Network stump microphone and used as evidence in Harbhajan's appeal:

Symonds walks up to Harbhajan at the end of an over.

Symonds: "Go and yell at your teammates .... You called me monkey again."

Matthew Hayden: "Twice. You've got a witness now champ."

Hayden approaches Harbhajan.

Hayden: "That's the last time."

Harbhajan: "No listen he started it."

Hayden: "Doesn't matter mate, it's racial vilification mate. It's a shit word and you know it."

Soon after, Michael Clarke approaches umpire Mark Benson.

Clarke: "It's not the first time. He done it in India and got into strife. That's the second time he's done it."

Captain Ricky Ponting walks up to Benson and gestures towards fellow umpire Steve Bucknor.

Ponting: "Go and tell him. Go and tell him straight away."

Harbhajan racism charge not proven - Hansen

Three weeks after the controversy erupted, the racism charge against Harbhajan Singh was found to be not proven by Justice John Hansen, hearing the appeal, on Tuesday. Harbhajan was instead charged with a Level 2.8 offence - abuse and insult not amounting to racism - to which he pleaded guilty and was fined 50 per cent of his match fees.

With this, the cloud over the immediate future of the Indian tour lifted; the Indian team, which had gathered in Adelaide in a show of support instead of proceeding to Melbourne for Friday's Twenty20 match, has now decided to continue with the original arrangements.

Harbhajan had been found guilty of racist abuse of Andrew Symonds during the Sydney Test in early January and handed a three-Test ban by match referee Mike Procter. The charge was leveled by the on-field umpires, Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson, on a complaint from Ricky Ponting, Australia's captain that Harbhajan had called Symonds a monkey.

An ICC statement following the conclusion of the appeal said that "a letter signed by all the players involved - from both Australia and India - was tendered into evidence as an agreed statement of facts as to what took place during the Sydney Test match."

During the hearing, oral evidence was called for from all the witnesses to the exchange between Harbhajan and Andrew Symonds - Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Matthew Hayden and Sachin Tendulkar. The witnesses were then cross-examined by Brian Ward, counsel representing the Australians, and VR Manohar, representing Harbhajan via video link from Mumbai.

"Justice Hansen said he was convinced that, on all the evidence submitted before him, the charge of a Level 3.3 offence was not proven but that Harbhajan should be charged with a Level 2.8 offence." Harbhajan pleaded guilty to this charge, after which the fine was imposed on him. Hansen is scheduled to provide the full reasons for delivering his judgement on Wednesday evening.

Manohar said that while the maximum punishment for a Level 2.8 offence was a fine of the full match fees and a ban of one Test or two ODIs, the fact that Harbhajan hadn't been booked under the ICC Code of Conduct since 1998 ensured that he got the milder penalty of a 50% fine of his match fees.

After the hearing the two teams issued a joint statement emphasising the need to move on and focus on the cricket. "Harbhajan and Symonds said they had resolved the issue between them in Sydney and now intend to move on. They have said they intend to make no further comment on the issue and get on with the game of cricket, which is the most important issue for each of them." The two captains also expressed their satisfaction with the outcome.

Cricket Australia's spokesman Peter Young said both the Indian board and Cricket Australia were happy with the decision. Sharad Pawar, president of the Indian board, said the verdict vindicated the BCCI's stand. "The judge has given a proper judgement. BCCI was consistently taking only one stand that it was practically impossible for us to accept the racist charges against any Indian player."

Stop getting personal: Gilchrist to retired stars

In a veiled swipe at Shane Warne and Ian Chappell for their outburst against the Australian team, vice-captain Adam Gilchrist today said retired stars should stop "getting personal" and "making negative" comments.


That's what we have prided ourselves in. It seems some guys in retirement have just lost that. I don't understand it. I don't know why people are getting personal about things in the press and in the public," the wicket-keeper fumed.

Gilchrist's remarks come after Warne and Chappell launched a scathing attack at former coach John Buchanan with the former calling him a "goose", who had "verbal diarrhoea".

Warne had also described the Australian team's attitude as being aggressive.

Chappell, meanwhile, had said that even his daughter would have done a better job than Buchanan at coaching the Australians.

Gilchrist, without naming anybody in particular said the former players had gone too far in their criticism of the team and Buchanan. "(The Australian team) is an elite club and we've always felt a major characteristic of being in that club is to show respect."

On the upcoming four Tests against India, Gilchrist said the series would be hard fought as the visitors "may be more ready for Test cricket than we are". "It will be hard-fought, they're a team that has said they want to take the challenge up to us in an aggressive manner," Gilchrist said.

Adam Gilchrist Retired ...

Ricky Ponting has reached his 34th Test century to pull level with West Indies great Brian Lara and former India batsman Sunil Gavaskar.

Ponting's knock came as Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist revealed he "just knew" it was time to retire from international cricket.

Gilchrist, 36, announced last night he would retire at the end of the coming triangular one-day series against India and Sri Lanka.

He is likely to bat for the last time in Test cricket today on the fourth day of the fourth Test at Adelaide Oval.

Gilchrist said he had reached the point where he knew it was time to retire.

"I thought about discussing it with a lot of people, past players to find out what they went through, but I just knew," he told the Nine Network.

"The old cliche, I wasn't sure if I'll just know, but I just knew.

"There was a point in time when I just knew."

Gilchrist claimed the Test wicketkeeping record on day two of this match, when he effected his 414th dismissal in his 96th Test.

But his achievements have come amid some difficult patches this series, as he dropped several catches in the second Test in Sydney and also spilled one on day one here.

Speaking to his predecessor Ian Healy, Gilchrist said it was difficult for wicketkeepers to prove to their critics they had returned to form, like batsmen could.

"It's hard for a keeper once he made a mistake to prove that he's got it right again, because another dismissal chance might not come for another Test," he said.

"And even then you need a speccy for people to take notice. If you take the regulation one, you're meant to do that."

But he was adamant he had always enjoyed the game.

"There's times when it's hard, but no time when I didn't like the game," he said.

Gilchrist informed his parents of his retirement decision on Thursday night and arranged for his family to get to the Adelaide Oval to share in his Test swansong.

However he and Cricket Australia said he would not hold a press conference until after the match, so the vice-captain could focus on helping his side try to beat India.

"I feel great, really happy, a bit confused," Gilchrist said.

"It's just been unbelievable. This morning I just wanted to say to the cricketing public, I just can't wait to focus on this Test and then at the end of it I can't wait to share it with everyone.

"I cant wait for that, so please hang with me for another day and I'll get out there and I'll share as much as I can and I can't wait to talk about it all."

But not all of the Gilchrist clan are at the ground yet.

He said one of his three brothers had yet to learn of his decision.

"He's camping in the middle of Queensland, he's out of phone range," he said.

"So if anyone sees Glenn, my brother, track him down. He doesn't know yet.

"I 'd love him to be here, the rest of the family's going to be here today and tomorrow."

Gilchrist said despite this being his last Test, he would still be nervous about batting.

"Michael Clarke has been asking me 'am I going to go out there and bat carefree?"' he said.

"But it's funny, yesterday waiting to bat was still the same, I was nervous.

"We don't want to lose any more wickets.

"Just looking at the big picture of this game we've got a lot of work to do, so hopefully I can channel all my energies into that and once this game's over that's when I can't wait to tell everyone how it came about.

"There's nothing sinister, or anything to hide.

Ricky Ponting's Integrity

During the post-match press conference at the end of the second Test match in Sydney (Jan 2008), Ricky Ponting lost his cool when he was questioned by an Indian reporter about his questionable appeals for catches, and said, "If you are actually questioning my integrity in the game, you should not even be standing....". (The full report may be seen in the blog of G.Rajaraman, the Delhi based reporter. http://rajreflects.blogspot.com/2008/01/losing-respect-and-getting-under.html)

Well, His Royal Highness Ricky Ponting, sitting in regal splendour in his royal Durbar has decreed that only sycophantic Aussie media reporters, who will swallow gleefully whatever juicy tidbits he will hand them, are welcome in his press conferences and any pesky outsiders who put him in a spot have no business to be there. The supreme arrogance for which the Aussies have earned some notoriety is very much on view in this simple statement. And considering the fact that it was aimed at a reporter from India, a certain colonial racist mind-set may also be seen in this behaviour.

At the outset Ponting should understand that a person's honesty and integrity are not recognised by others based on one's own assertion or command. These traits are recognised when a person displays them regularly in his behaviour over a period of time. For example Adam Gilchrist has earned a reputation for walking when he snicks a catch behind even when the umpire is somewhat unsighted and is not so sure about it. In his case, if he is not so sure himself about whether he has snicked or not, and so waits for the umpire to adjudicate, nobody will find a flaw in it or accuse him of lack of integrity. But in this one single match itself, Ponting as well as Symonds and Clarke have compromised themselves on their honesty and integrity scale by not walking, and capitalising on the incompetence of the umpire who spared them, or waited for the umpire's decision even though he knew he was out, as in the case of Clarke.

One is reminded of a very juicy story in this context. A multi-millionaire was dancing with a stunning blonde and he whispered in her ears whether she would agree to sleep with him for one night for one million dollars. She gleefully accepted the proposition. A minute later he said, how about a hundred thousand dollars. She frowned a bit and said, ok, if you are so hard up. Then he scaled it down to one thousand dollars. She flared up and asked, "Do you think I am a whore?" He coolly replied, "Is there any doubt about it. I am only trying to fix the price." Ponting and his men have compromised their honesty and integrity in public in front of a stadium full of people and millions of fans around the world watching TV. What is the worth of fretting and fuming and saying, how dare you question my integrity?

Some scribes, including Indians, have tried to be too smart by half in saying that Sachin and Laxman also have escaped some doubtful lbw calls and then gone on to their centuries. What a comparison!! It is like chalk and cheese. In the case of lbw the batsman cannot judge whether the ball would have hit the stumps from where it hit his leg, except when he has played back so much to be very close to the stumps. Whereas in the case of snicking behind, the batsman knows he has touched the ball and it has been taken cleanly, and still dishonestly stands there for the umpire to decide.

Ponting's and his team-mates' honesty and integrity are in tatters indeed