India will win the series if they bat well - Ganguly

Australia's strong batting performance on the first day of their match against the Board President's XI in Mohali had no impact on former India captain Sourav Ganguly's view as to how the forthcoming Test series will go. Ganguly said, "India will win the series if they bat well."

Regardless of India's revolving-door bowling attack, Ganguly said the venues of the two-Test series help the home team maximise its spin resources. "Bangalore may not offer assistance early for spinners, but there's a bit for them later and Mohali has always been a good venue for us", Ganguly said at the India Today Youth Summit in Delhi this afternoon.

He picked Suresh Raina and Cheteshwar Pujara as the leaders of the next generation of Indian batsmen who have it in them to go the distance. Raina, while inexperienced in the Test format, has shown great improvement according to Ganguly. Pujara, picked for the first time in the Indian team to play Australia, has what Ganguly called a "terrific attitude towards batting. I've seen him with the [Kolkata] Knight Riders and he can bat all day, he just loves it."

As India's strong middle-order draws closer to the end of its era, the team, Ganguly said, had plenty of options. "There is talent in Murali Vijay; there is talent in Yuvraj Singh. There are many other young players who have got talent, but it's what they do with that talent that is important."

Ganguly, who was captain of the Indian team that kicked off India's now-celebrated rivalry with the Australians in 2001, said his advice to current India captain M S Dhoni did not include making Ricky Ponting wait for the toss, a habit which had incensed Steve Waugh in the 2001 series. "The series is going to be really enjoyable and Ricky's a great guy", he said.

Ponting and Ganguly were teammates at the Kolkata Knight Riders for the last three years, an association that will most probably end when the IPL hosts its latest player auction later this year. Ganguly said he agreed with Sachin Tendulkar about maintaining and building a team, but thought the IPL had "done well to leave player retention in the franchises hand, to make it their decision".

The most essential ingredient of every franchise's team, according to Ganguly, was "identity". He said, "So what happens if Tendulkar doesn't play for Mumbai? If Tendulkar plays for Bangalore then it looks like something different, doesn't it?"

As one of the speakers in the Youth Summit, Ganguly's brief speech was followed by an exchange with an audience made up mostly of university students. He spoke openly of the time he took over as India captain in 2000, which is when the match-fixing controversy first broke. "We had some worries once the news came out in the open. We would speak to each other but none of us knew what to do, or to deal with the situation - we'd not been approached or anything."

The six month break between seasons that followed made a difference, Ganguly said. "The BCCI decided to take players off the team and we got a lot of youngsters into the side. So we didn't have to deal with those issues, but we had it at the back of our mind".

Ganguly said he had not come across any experience to say that matches were fixed "in my entire cricketing life personally, and I can vouch for that ... Now I presume those guys, they know whom to approach. It's not just about Pakistani cricketers but players all around the world. Maybe they can just judge someone's character and know they might get through to one player and not another".

When he was asked if would ever like to coach the Indian team, Ganguly said, "Yes, not very shortly but at some stage of my life. I would really want to do it because anything connected with Indian cricket is an honour".

Ganguly also replied to a question about a 'five-point programme' on coaching that he would give to Greg Chappell, who had a controversial tenure as India coach from 2005 to 2007. "Don't be too friendly with the media," Ganguly said, "be honest with the players and don't talk to them through the media, always work with players, get confidence out of players and stay on the backstage. The captain is the boss of the team."

Read More

There will be pressure but India can win World Cup: Ganguly

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly says Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Co would be under a lot of pressure to lift the trophy when the country co-hosts the World Cup next year but hoped veteran Sachin Tendulkar's experience would steer them to the title.

Just 150 days to go until the start of the World Cup, Ganguly believes that if India was to lift the trophy at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 2, it would be a fitting finale to Tendulkar's World Cup career.

"I hope he makes it (to the final) and wins it. That is the best way he can give back to Indian cricket. He is a phenomenon and his records and achievements have been fantastic and hopefully he can add that feather in his cap," Ganguly was quoted as saying in an ICC release.

Ganguly believes that although India will be under pressure to win at the World Cup, the side has the quality needed to win the trophy.

"There will be pressure there is no doubt. For the home teams there is pressure, especially when you play in India. Every time Dhoni and his boys, like Sachin, walk out of the hotel there will be people saying 'we want you to win, we want you to win it'. That does add a bit of pressure but I am sure they are used to," he said.

"It's very difficult to say who will be the winner of the tournament but I will definitely be backing India. India has a strong team and hopefully they will go all the way," he added.

Ganguly said India have enough batting talent but the team needs to work on its bowling.

"I am not a big person who compares (sides) but this is a very good side with a very good batting line up. A side which has batsmen like Sehwag, Sachin, Yuvraj, Dhoni in the shorter format and Gambhir it must be a serious batting line.

"The bowling just worries me a bit but hopefully they will all stay fit and do well in the big tournament."

Ganguly also believes that the interest in the tournament will be huge and that the World Cup 2011 attract admiration from across the globe as a major sporting event.

"It is going to be a huge event. Cricket in India is big. It is going to be very well organised and it will be something that the whole world looks up to," he added.

Read More

SC notice to WB govt over allotment of land to Ganguly

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has admitted a petition challenging the allotment of land by West Bengal government to former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly for construction of a school in a posh locality of Kolkata.

The apex court issued a notice to the state government and Ganguly on a petition filed by an NGO which has alleged that the land at Salt Lake locality was alloted to the cricketer allegedly by flouting all procedures.

A Bench comprising Justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly took an undertaking from the cricketer's counsel that he will not go ahead with any construction activies and mainatain status quo on the land till further order.

The Bench noted the undertaking by senior advocate U U Lalit, appearing for Ganguly, that "his client will maintain the present status of the land in question".

Taking on record the statement of his counsel, the Bench said "in view of the statement of the learned counsel, we do not consider it necessary to pass any interim order".

The court was hearing an appeal filed by a West Bengal-based NGO, Humanity and others, seeking a stay on all construction activities on the one-acre plot of land.

The Calcutta High Court had dismissed the NGO's plea to stop all construction activities on the plot allotted to Ganguly.

The NGO submitted that the state government violated all norms and procedures while alloting the prime land to the former Indian cricket captain.

It said the plot was earmarked for a college but the state accommodated Ganguly's request without amending the master plan.

Read More

RCB are strong contenders for the title: Sourav Ganguly

Cricket lovers the world over, especially those favouring the shortest version, will be looking forward to loads of excitement and fireworks in the Champions League Twenty20.

Royal Challengers Bangalore have made it to the Champions League Twenty20 for the second year in succession and their consistency needs to be lauded. It is very difficult to pick a favourite in this format of the game, but with the kind of balance the Royals have, I would like to bet my money on them and name them as strong contenders for the title.

It was in South Africa that one saw the rise of the Bangalore outfit. They were down in the dumps in the first leg of the second IPL. But from the second leg, with a change in leadership, one saw the change in fortunes. The biggest advantage that Anil [Kumble] and his boys are going to enjoy will be mental. It was in South Africa that they did a turn-around, reached the finals after languishing at the bottom of the table early on. So the unit will have the feeling of not doing much wrong in South Africa.

The South African conditions are well known to Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn, who are key members of the side. For them it is very much like playing at home. While the other teams will need time to settle down on the fresh South African wickets at the start of the season, Royals will have players who are already accustomed. They will have the experience of Rahul Dravid in the middle order, somebody who is equipped for tough overseas conditions, not to forget the big-hitting of Robin Utthappa. But the most important man for the Royals in the middle will be Ross Taylor who played some outstanding knocks for them in South Africa last time. He will enjoy the conditions as the wickets will have bounce to suit his stroke-play.

The bowling attack of the Royals looks very potent in terms of the South African conditions. Dale Steyn will be the spearhead and facing the world’s fastest bowler on helpful tracks will be a challenge that others will have to live up to. It will be a big opportunity for young Vinay Kumar to prove his mettle on helpful foreign conditions and catch the attention of the selectors.

Anil Kumble will also have a big role to play and I have a feeling that he will be someone to look out for on those bouncy South African tracks. The Challengers should be up for the big challenge.

Read More

KKR at Interactive session..undecided on Dada? !!

Kolkata, Sept. 6: With spot-fixing and betting scandals being the talking point in cricket today, news and developments related to the Indian Premier League have expectedly taken a back seat. However, an analysis of comments from personalities who matter in the cash-rich T20 extravaganza could well raise eyebrows.

On Monday during an interactive session with reporters at the Cricket Association of Bengal premises, Dav Whatmore was questioned on the Kolkata Knight Riders squad and their prospects in IPL-4. He replied that things first would need to be discussed with team owner Shah Rukh Khan and other franchise officials.

Surprisingly, Whatmore wasn’t heard taking the name of skipper Sourav Ganguly. When reminded, he quickly said, “Obviously, he (Sourav) is the captain… Will certainly discuss with him too.”

But again after a brief pause, he added, “Everyone is going to be put up for auction. So you never know who is going to be retained and who’s not.”

The incident is akin to the one just a month prior to the event’s second edition in 2009 when John Buchanan raised a storm with his comment “(KKR) Skipper yet to be decided”. The two scenarios, nonetheless, are completely different.

But here’s a look at what a KKR official says about Whatmore’s comments. “If Dav has at all said it, he’s not wrong as Sourav doesn’t belong to the category of M.S. Dhoni and the like. He’s not actively involved with the game anymore. Still, no discussion has been held.”

Read More

Dhoni will face challenge ahead with retirements: Ganguly

KOLKATA: With the young crop of Indian cricketers falling short of expectation, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni would face a big challenge especially after the retirement of the senior players, former captain Sourav Ganguly said on Thursday.

"Dhoni's biggest challenge will be in the coming one or two years when Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman retire. Next year, we have about five away series and it will be a test of his captaincy and his players. His future as Indian captain will be determined," Ganguly said.

Terming Dhoni as the most accomplished one-day batsman, Ganguly said, "The skipper should bat higher up the order rather than down at 5 or 6."

On the other hand, Dhoni should stop making 'immature' statements and concentrate on getting the best out of the side, he said.

Referring to Dhoni's statement of 'too much of cricket' after the debacle in the World Twenty20, Ganguly said: "Dhoni is a mature cricketer but sometimes he makes immature comments. If they will not play, somebody else will fit in. This is the time to play."

India's performance in the Test format, he said, was good, but when it came to the shorter version it was dwindling because of the inconsistency from the young bunch.

" Yuvraj Singh has a lot of ups and downs despite playing for so long. Virender Sehwag too is inconsistent when it comes to one-days, while the youngsters Ravindra Jadeja, Yusuf Pathan and Rohit Sharma are short of expectations.

"They were termed as the future, but they are yet to perform at the highest level and blossom. There has been a big gap as we are not getting the combination right," he said about India's recent debacles especially in the ICC Champions Trophy 2009 and World Twenty20 this year.

Referring to his team's memorable triumphs in Pakistan, England and the West Indies, Ganguly said "Those were the performances that mattered the most for us. Performance is 40 per cent captaincy and 60 per cent player's contribution."

Ganguly held that selectors should pick the side on basis of performance, but not on age.

"It's Sachin Tendulkar who is still your best, while for the Aussies it's Ricky Ponting who is still taking the team through. And, remember Laxman's contribution in saving the series in Sri Lanka," Ganguly said.

Read More

I was not approached by any bookie: Ganguly

KOLKATA: Sourav Ganguly on Thursday said he had never been approached by any bookie during his stint as Indian captain, even as the world cricket is rocked by 'spot-fixing' involving Pakistani cricketers.

"Three former India captains -- Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble -- too were never approached and such a situation was beyond their imagination," Ganguly told a TV channel.

Urging the cricketers to be responsible, Ganguly said the International Cricket Council (ICC) was not a policing body and could not have a constant watch on the players.

"ICC is not a police station, it has some set of laws. If those are violated, they will take action. Nothing is foolproof," the 38-year-old said.

Referring to the 'spot-fixing' scam, Ganguly said "In our playing days, we could hardly believe such a thing. [During my captaincy, betting issue used to figure in the discussions with Tendulkar, Dravid, Kumble and me. But nobody could dare approach us.

"May be they (the bookies) judge players by their characters before making the move. I can never in my life believe that this may happen. The captain and his boys have a role to play, they must act responsibly," Ganguly said.

He further said those found guilty in the spot-fixing' scandal should be "heavily punished".

Without naming the accused -- Pakistan Test skipper Salman Butt and pacer duo of Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer -- the left-hander said," we should wait for the outcome."

"The guilty should be heavily punished. These are all allegations, there is no proof yet. We should not make comments," he said.

"Not just Pakistan is involved. I hear players from Australia and Bangladesh have been approached. It boils down to the players, it's their as well as captain's responsibility. They are playing as an individual, they should take responsibility," Ganguly said.

Read More

Cricketers found guilty should be heavily punished: Ganguly

KOLKATA: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Thursday said the International Cricket council (ICC) is not a policing body and the cricketers themselves should have responsibility towards the game.

Referring to the 'spot-fixing' scam, the ace Bengal cricketer said those found guilty in the 'spot-fixing' scandal should be "heavily punished".

Without naming the accused trio of Salman butt and the pacer duo of Asif and Aamer, the southpaw said," We should wait for the outcome."

"The guilty should be heavily punished. These are all allegations, there is no proof yet. We should not make comments," he said.

" ICC is not a police station, it has some set of laws. If at all they are violated, they will take action. Nothing is foolproof," the 38-year-old said.

"Not just Pakistan is involved. I hear players from Australia and Bangladesh have been approached. It boils down to the players, it's their as well as captain's responsibilty. They are playing as an individual, they should take responsiblity," Ganguly said.

Pakistan's Test skipper Butt and pacers Asif and Aamer are facing a Scotland Yard Investigation over their alleged involvement in a betting scam "exposed" by a British tabloid's sting operation.

Read More