No place for soft nature in cricket : Ganguly

Young players should utilise opportunities as World Cup is round the corner

Kolkata: Two legends of the game, Wasim Akram and Anil Kumble, have been in the eye of the storm recently for taking it out on the young brigade of the Indian cricket team.

While Pakistan's Sultan of Swing has found the current pace bowlers ‘softies and lazy,' Kumble felt it's time the Yuvraj Singhs and Rohit Sharmas took more responsibility upon themselves.

What is Sourav Ganguly's take on this subject ? The former Indian skipper, who will be doing TV commentary in Champions League T-20, speaks to Gulf News on a range of subjects: right from the young players to the second phase of his reality show Dadagiri. Following are the excerpts:

GULF NEWS: Wasim Akram has blasted members of Indian pace attack as ‘softies and lazy'...

SOURAV GANGULY: They are new. I am sure with the passage of time, they will realise that there is no place for soft nature in international cricket. They will have to cope up with the pressure of international cricket as early as possible. They need to grow and mature very fast.

Anil Kumble, your former teammate, is also not very happy with the younger lot.

Since the World Cup will be knocking at the door very soon, everybody has to rise to the occasion. They should utilise the opportunities that the team management is offering them. There is not much time to cash in. Everyone has to be on toes.

What about the Indian fielding in Sri Lanka? Even the juniors can't deliver ... You were once accused of being a poor fielder.

Yes, I know but don't wish to comment on that.

What is the update on your shooting for the reality show Dadagiri?

Yes, I have started the shooting of Dadagiri, which would be on air in the first week of September. Now my routine is six months of cricket and six months of Dadagiri.

Is it one more challenge for you?

I think it will be a better programme this time but wouldn't be a challenge. Whatever challenge I took was on the pitch, Now, it is fun I would like to enjoy my life.

What is the USP (unique selling point) of this programme?

It's a family show and people from between the age group of eight and 80 years can enjoy this programme.

Will you be inviting Shah Rukh Khan, owner of your IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders, this time also?

We will try to. Let's see.

What about Amitabh Bachchan?

Recently, I met him at the launch of CL- T20 and I requested him to appear in my show as well. But I think Aamir Khan will definitely come this time.

Finally, a cricket question. Now, Greg Chappell is the selector of Australia and the Australian media says that ‘Guru Greg' may try to oust Ricky Ponting.

I don't think so. Australia still need Ricky Ponting and I'm sure he will do well in the forthcoming Ashes series ... however, with him, you never know.

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Making of Dada's Recent Ad stint for CL T20 with Big B n Symonds

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Dadagiri is back with a bang!!

August 27, 2010: The much awaited TV Quiz show ‘Dadagiri’ is back with its second season. Sourav Ganguly made his Television debut as the quizmaster for ‘Dadagiri’ in its first season and within a few days it started topping the TRP rankings. The show follows Sourav this time as well, as he will be playing the Quizmaster to the contestants. The prince of Kolkattamentioned that he expects the second season to be as successful as the previous one.

The show airs on Zee Bangla from September 2 (Thursday to Saturday, 9.30 pm to 11 pm). When asked about the new show, the former Captain of the Indian Cricket team said that he is excited about the second season. The cricketer said that unlike last year he is no longer a rookie and feels much more confident about his hosting skills.

The last season had 64 episodes in it and Sourav is happy to be back after a hiatus of eight months. Speaking to The Telegraph Ganguly said that he enjoys working and feels no pressure at all. This year ‘Dadagiri 2’ will compete with KBC 3 for the TRP ratings and it remains to be seen whom the audience chooses to watch. Sourav did not seem flustered about competing with the Big B as he has his own niche of audience.

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Sourav enjoyed watching Amitabh rehearse !!

Big B who we all now know as a brand ambassador of ACLT20 will soon be seen in one of the ads with Andrew Symonds, Herschelle Gibbs and Saurav Ganguly. And guess what Symonds will be crooning Hindi song Bheege Honth Tere in Airtel Champions League Twenty 20 ad and Gibbs will also sing Aa dekhe zara… for the commercial.

In the first part of the commercial Amitabh Bahchan is in the role of sutradhar who would inform the viewers how the game has taken an interesting turn at the particular point of time. And this latest one is the continuation of the previous one. In this series he will be a man who sees Symonds, Gibbs and Sourav Ganguly chilling out just before the tournament. Saurav will be in a spa, Symonds is in a bathtub playing with a plastic duck, while Gibbs will be seen strumming a mandolin and crooning. So when Bachchan will see them in this relaxed mode he tells viewers, “Aag toh lagani padegi bhaiyya”.

He then passes acerbic comments about the cricketing styles of their teams and players for Ganguly, Symonds and Gibbs to hear. The three gets enraged, Gibbs breaks the guitar and Dada tears pillow he was resting on and vows to go for the kill. For sure viewers would like to see their players in never-seen-before avatar.

According to Big B, they’re all accomplished actors. He also says that they have cameras panned on them all the time on the field. Toh kitni badhiya acting karte hain kabhi kabhi. To which the cricketer Ganguly said that they don’t have to prove anything in acting and don’t have to set a bar, which they just have to do in cricket. However, they enjoyed seeing Mr Bachchan rehearsing for his part - he’d go to a corner and do it all by himself.

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Through the off-side : DADA's Column --> Watch out for the resurgent Kiwis

After beating India handsomely in the first match of the tri-series, New Zealand will have their tails up against Sri Lanka. The Indians had a bad day in office, and such things can happen in sport. Nothing much should be read into it.

New Zealand have come with a young team and their enthusiasm was evident. As expected, Ross Taylor was the man who stood out. He has the experience to play against Indian bowling and sub-continent conditions. He put it to work when the Kiwis were struggling after the loss of a few early wickets. Taylor's skill and Scott Styris's experience helped the team reach a total that was very competitive.

Daryl Tuffey made a good comeback after a layoff, but the bowler who caught my eye was the left-handed AJ McKay. He looked sharp and has the potential to get better. Jacob Oram also did his job well as the support bowler. With Daniel Vettori and Brendon McCullum due to return, the Kiwis have the makings of a side to watch out for.

Sri Lanka will definitely have the home advantage but their batting has to come good. They are dependent on their top order. Their bowling will be something that will bother the Kiwi batsmen. Taylor and Co will have to find ways to match the guile of Ajantha Mendis and Suraj Randiv.

Much has been talked about the pitch but I believe there is no devil in it. On this Dambulla track, India did beat Pakistan in the Asia Cup, batting second and that too against a much superior bowling attack.

So, the toss could be a factor but will not be the only decisive one..

SOURCE : Cricket Nirvana..

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The Lankans left Dada too stranded on 98

It is not the first time the Sri Lankan team has played spoilsport.

Sri Lanka spinner Suraj Randiv deliberately bowling a no-ball and depriving Virender Sehwag of a well-deserved century in the tri-series match in Dambulla on Monday has a few recent parallels.

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly was a vicitim of such an unsporting gesture as well.

Speaking to a television channel on Tuesday, Ganguly said this is not the first time Sri Lanka had done such a thing. They did the same to him in a Test match at Kandy, in 2002, where he was left stranded on 98, he said.

• - Should the no-ball law be tweaked?

"It is not for the first time that Sri Lanka has done this," Dada said.

"I can still remember the Kandy Test in 2002 when India won by eight wickets. They did that to me as well. I was batting on 98. They bowled a wide full toss, we won the match and I was stranded on 98.

"This has happened in the past as well and I am not sure whether this was required in any format of the game," he added.

Besides, Sachin Tendulkar was also a victim in similar circimstances.

The Sri Lankans successfully denied him a century in the one-day international at Cuttack last year.Lasith Malinga sent down a deliberate wide down the leg side that went for four and India won by seven wickets, but Tendulkar was left stranded on 96 off 104 balls.

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We should have played Buchi Babu : Sourav

Calcutta: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly took a dig at the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) on Tuesday and said that Bengal should have played the Buchi Babu tournament.

“Buchi Babu being a three-day format meet would have helped Bengal to prepare well for the Ranji Trophy. However, we should now play in the Moin-ud-Dowlah Trophy and the JP Atray meet,” Sourav said on the sidelines of a promotional, in Behala.

The Buchi Babu organisers did not send an invitation this time to the CAB since they were not sending any team for the last three years. Despite not being invited, the CAB still could have sent the side, but the association brass decided not to as they felt the team was not ready enough.

Sourav also said that he would prepare for the 2011 Indian Premier League (IPL) once he returns from the Champions League T20 meet, to be held in South Africa, where he will be donning the role of a commentator. “I will be part of the commentary team for seven days. I am looking forward to it.”

For those interested in facts, Sourav’s first brush with the microphone came during an ODI against Australia in Kochi in 1998.

Now, a free cricketer in the IPL after his three-year contract with the Kolkata Knight Riders ended with the 2010 season, Ganguly said he was unsure about which team he would turn out for in IPL IV. “I am not sure… I don’t exactly know the rules.”

On the recent Commonwealth Games controversy, Sourav said that everything would be okay once the event starts on October 3.

“I am too far away from the real scene and I don’t exactly know what is going around. I just read it in the newspapers.”

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Pace bowling needs improvement: Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly said that the Indian fast bowling has a lot of catching up to do before the World Cup and the former India captain put the onus on bowling coach Eric Simmons to motivate the youngsters in the absence of the experienced Zaheer Khan.

The Indian pacers lacked penetration especially in the first Test against Sri Lanka, which led coach Gary Kirsten to admit that finding the ideal fast bowling unit for the World Cup was proving to be a challenge.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a promotional event , Ganguly said, "It is the duty of the bowling coach to bring the best out of the young Indian pace battery."

"Yes, the bowling needs to improve. It's the job of the bowling coach to keep the bowlers motivated, they need to be shown the way. I am sure they will improve with time," he said.

An ankle injury has ruled Ishant Sharma out of the first ODI of the tri-series that follows the Test matches, while a shoulder injury has forced Zaheer out of the tour before the start of the first Test as India have been grappling with a lot of problems in the pace department.

Ganguly however said their batting is world class and they are the favourites in the ongoing Tri-series involving Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

"India are the certain favourites. We are quite a good one-day side. I am sure they will make it to the final."

"We are a great batting side in the world cricket at the moment with cricketers like Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and most importantly Virender Sehwag. He can destroy any attack on a given day," Ganguly said about the Test batting line-up.

The 38-year-old further said Suresh Raina is nicely shaping up in the Test mold of things and is fitting into the slot left vacant after he called it quits.

"Raina has played well in the Test series. I hope he will cement his place," Ganguly replied when asked whether Raina is fitting into the slot left vacant by him.

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CWG controversies will be over as the game starts: Ganguly

The build up to the Commonwealth Games might be marred in controversies but former India captain Sourav Ganguly today said all the problems would be sorted out once the event starts on October 3.

Talking to reporters at a promotional event near his residence in Behala, the iconic Bengal cricketer said he was nobody to comment on the controversies surrounding the CWG.

Ganguly, who was the star attraction of Queens Baton Relay’s stop-over in Kolkata a few days ago, said: “Commonwealth Games is the pride of our country. I am too far away here and I don’t know exactly what is going around. I just read it in the newspapers.”

“I guess once the actual games - especially the sporting part of it - start, the medals are given, the controversy will be all over. All problems will be sorted out,” an optimistic Ganguly said.

Ganguly will do the commentary along with superstar Amitabh Bachchan in the upcoming Champions League Twenty20 and he said it would be nice to share the commentary box with the Bollywood ‘Shehenshah’.

Commenting about his recent shoot with Big B, he said: “It was nice to shoot with him. I really enjoyed it. He is a very popular person and a true professional.”

“I will be part of the commentary for seven days out of 20. I will really enjoy it.”

Now a free cricketer in Indian Premier League after his three-year contract with Kolkata Knight Riders expired last season, Ganguly said he was unsure about his future in the Twenty20 extravaganza.

“I am not sure of the IPL yet. I don’t exactly know the rules.”

Ganguly was talking to the reporters at the launch of VLCC Gymnasium and Salon at Willow Towers near his residence in Behala Chowrasta.

“I have been a resident of Behala for last 37 years. For long, I felt that this place needed a good gym. Whenever, I needed to work out, I had to go all the way to Eden Gardens, that would take me more than 30 minutes. Now with this, everybody will be benifitted a lot,” he said.

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CLT20 will be tough for IPL teams: Ganguly

Mumbai: Playing in South Africa would be challenging for the three Indian Premier League teams who have qualified for next month's Champions League Twenty20, former India captain Sourav Ganguly said here on Friday.

"It (playing in South Africa) will have an impact as the technicalities will be different, planning will be different," Ganguly, who has been roped in as a commentator by ESPN Star for the tournament, said at a function here.

"There won't be too many scores in excess of 200. There will be a lot more close games and a score of 130-140 could be a winning total," said Ganguly, who led Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL-3.

IPL winners Chennai Super Kings, led by India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, runners-up Mumbai Indians, skippered by Sachin Tendulkar, and Anil Kumble-led Bangalore Royal Challengers have qualified for CLT20 to be held from September 10-26 in four South African centres.

But Ganguly also saw the tournament as an ideal opportunity for some young players to prove their mettle in tough South African conditions.

"The tournament will give players like (Saurabh) Tiwary, (Murali) Vijay and some Karnataka cricketers a chance to play in tough conditions. Look what (Suresh) Raina is doing after all the exposure he got from the Indian Premier League," he said.

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DADA BACk to Cricket as a Commentator.. !!

Mumbai: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has been chosen as the brand ambassador of the upcoming cricket tournament Airtel Champions League Twenty20 to be held in South Africa by ESPN STAR Sports channel.

"I think what makes the event even more special today is that we have two great champions of their crafts, Mr. Bachchan and Saurav (Ganguly). Airtel Champions League T20 is the world championship of T20 teams from various countries," Manu Sawhney, Managing Director of ESPN STAR Sports, said at a press meet here on Friday.

"And for a tournament of this stature...this class, who better can be the brand ambassador than a man who truly represents tremendous amount of excellence, character, commitment - Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, who till today continues to be the great source of inspiration for all of us. So it's my true pleasure, Mr. Bachchan, to welcome you as the brand ambassador of Airtel Champions League T20," Sawhney said.

Former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly will join as commentator.

"It gives me great pleasure to let you know that Sourav will be part of the commentator team, who will be sharing with you all the nuances of the game during the champion league," said Sawhney.

"Like every other Indian, we all love cricket...Cricket excites everyone in my family and other members that come to my house and every time there is a game, we are following. We call up each other, we get together in the house and sit in front of the TV to enjoy the game," said Amitabh Bachchan.

Bachchan revealed that he too had a cricketer in him.

"I used to bowl with my left hand and bat with my right hand. When we were youngsters, we all believed that there is going to be a match and everything is going to depend on this one player; we walk on and there is a massive score to achieve in a very little time and how you are going to hit the ball and getting all the adulation. Every one dreams and we all dreamt that," said Bachchan.

Asked if he would go to South Africa to watch the matches, he said: "I don't know. I would ask ESPN to invite me. I would love to go there."

Ganguly, on his part, said the Airtel Champions League T20 would be a great experience for young players.

"It will have an impact. The technicalities have to be different; the planning has to be different. What Airtel Champions League T20 will do is it will give an opportunity to the young players to play in the tough conditions with some best players in the world," he added.

Starting August 26, ESPN STAR Sports will telecast the tournament to 169 countries.

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Sourav, Baichung glam up Baton relay

KOLKATTA,AUG 1 : FORMER INDIAN CRICKET CAPTAIN SOURAV GANGULY AND SOCCER STAR BHAICHUNG BHUTIA WERE AMONG MANY SPORTSPERSONS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RELAY WITH THE QUEEN'S BATON FOR THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES AS IT REACHED KOLKATTA FROM TRIPURA ON SUNDAY MORNING..

The baton, which just left Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, was taken to the Victoria Memorial via VIP Road and AJC Bose Road after a stopover at Alipore.

During its 100-day run in India, the baton would cover 28 states and seven Union Territories, before finally reaching the 2010 Commonwealth Games host city, New Delhi.

The baton carries a message from the head of the Commonwealth of Nations, Queen Elizabeth II, which would be read out at the opening ceremony, to be attended by Prince Charles.

The Queen's Baton Relay race symbolizes the unity and shared ideals of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The baton was released for the 2010 CWG Games on October 29, 2009 from Buckingham Palace by Queen Elizabeth II in London in the presence of Indian President Pratibha Devisingh Patil.

Travelling by different modes and going through thousands of hands, the baton would cover over 20,000 km, in 340 days, making the Baton Relay 2010 one of the longest relays in the history of the Commonwealth Games.

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Kolkata people did a Sourav Ganguly a century ago

KOLKATA: When Sourav Ganguly took off his shirt and waved it at the Lords after winning the Natwest Trophy in 2002, he probably did not know that people of his city had done the same thing a century ago -- to celebrate a historic football victory in 1911.

On July 29, 1911, a barefoot bunch of 11 Indians, representing Mohun Bagan, defeated fancied East Yorkshire Regiment team to lay their hands for the first time on the then coveted IFA Shield.

An international news agency report on that day said, "When it was known that East Yorkshire regiment had been beaten by two goals to one, the scene beggared description, the Bengalees tearing off their shirts and waving them."

The report, which was reproduced from an anthology of news articles published by Press Club, Kolkata, says, "The vast majority saw nothing of the game and was informed of the progress by flying kites."

There was also no racial overtone. "The European spectators were good humoured and the Bengalees cheered the losing team," said the report.

A newspaper, The Mussalman, said: "It was a sense of universal joy, which pervaded the feelings of the Hindus, the Mohammedans and the Christians alike. The members of the Muslim sporting club were almost mad and rolling on the ground with joyous excitement on the victory of their Hindu brethren."

Even a pro-British newspaper, The Empire, wrote two days after the victory, "Those eleven players are not only a glory to themselves and to their club and to the great nation to which they belong; they are a glory to the game itself."

Though established on August 15, 1889, Bagan had first participated in the IFA Shield tournament in 1909 as all teams were not allowed to avail the opportunity.

To reach the final, Bagan had defeated St Xavier's 3-0 in the first round, Rangers in the second by the same score, Rifle Brigade in the third by 1-0 and went on to defeat Middlesex Regiment 3-0 in the semifinal, according to the club's website.

After a barren first half in the final, East York captain Sergeant Jackson drew first blood. But Bagan skipper Shibdas Bhaduri equalised within five minutes.

Finally, just two minutes before the long whistle, Abhilash Ghosh netted the ball following a Bhaduri pass and history was scripted.

To commemorate the historic event, Mohun Bagan has planned a year-long programme which began on July 29 here.

Before 1911, Bagan had won the Trades Cup three times in a row from 1906 to 1908. At that time, Trades Cup was the next prestigious tournament after IFA Shield.

In 1905, Mohun Bagan had defeated Dalhousie, winner of that year's IFA Shield, by 6-1, the club site said.

SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/Kolkata-people-did-a-Sourav-Ganguly-a-century-ago-Report/articleshow/6243205.cms

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