Why, oh why, was it so necessary for Sourav Ganguly to be included, as a 16^th player, for the recently concluded tour to Sri Lanka?  What compelling reason could there have been for such a tactless decision?   Ganguly has had a horrendous run with the bat of late, and, at best, he is an average fielder.  Moreover, last minute inclusions, in the very best of circumstances, create uncertainty, and can undermine the best-laid plans.  The decision to include Ganguly represents much about what is wrong with the management of Indian cricket.  Under new coach, Greg Chappell, and skipper Rahul Dravid, the Indian team was confidently looking ahead to a promising start to the new season.  The loss of talisman Sachin Tendulkar to injury, and Sourav Ganguly to suspension, was being presented as a blessing in disguise to new comers Rao, Raina, and Dhoni.  For Kaif , Laxman, and Yuvraj Singh, it was a chance, finally, to cement a place in the team.  For the selectors, it was an opportunity to see whether Rahul Dravid was capable of shouldering the responsibility of captaincy with the same calmness and assurance that marked his batting in recent years.  For Ganguly too, it was a break, long overdue, to return to the drawing board and regain his flagging confidence.  And for Dravid, it was the breathing room that the new captain needed without the emotional burden of Ganguly’s presence in the team.

In the days leading up to the tournament, this dream plan was quickly turning into a nightmare as the BCCI sought to overturn Ganguly’s suspension.  Many breathed a sigh of relief when the ICC arbitrator, judge, Albie Sachs, issued a statement that he would make his decision known on July 22, a few days after the scheduled announcement of the team for Sri Lanka.  But management never ceases to amaze with its penchant for the absurd and ridiculous, and Ganguly was named as a possible16^th player pending the ICC ruling.  The rest of the team departed for Sri Lanka despite the distractions.  Dravid quickly dispelled whatever fears there might have been about his captaincy by demonstrating that the responsibility of leadership rests easily on his shoulders.  Despite losing to Sri Lanka in the opening game, the team showed a refreshing enthusiasm, and esprit de corps.  The batting was disappointing, but understandable, given the team’s recent hiatus from international cricket.  However, if the batting was second tier, the bowling was top shelf, and the fielding superb.  Dravid batted magnificently, notching fifties in the first two games, the second, a match winning knock against the West Indies.   On the field, he proved himself a natural leader – courageous and attacking. 

In the midst of this came the news that Ganguly’s suspension was reduced, and he would be eligible to join the team in Sri Lanka.  Having won the battle, it was an opportunity for the former captain to act selflessly, in the best interests of the team, and decline to join the team in Sri Lanka.  But that was not to be.  The question that everyone continues to ask is why was it so necessary for Ganguly to play in this tournament.  His presence could disrupt team chemistry and create distractions in the media.  Right or wrong, the media sees Ganguly as a controversial figure, and, true to form, immediately upon arrival in Sri Lanka, Ganguly courted controversy by publicly criticizing his exclusion from the Asia XI to tour Africa.   Whatever his disappointments about non-selection, such irrelevancy had no place on an Indian team desperately looking to start the new season on a positive note. 

Ganguly’s presence visibly affected the team.  And how could it not?  Instead of focusing on the positives, suddenly, the newspapers were filled with speculation on Ganguly’s new role in the team; on what it would be like for him to play under Dravid; on whether he will be taking over the captaincy at the end of the series?    How could this not adversely affect Dravid, and, by extension, the rest of the team?  How could Ganguly not see this?  How could the learned people of the BCCI not be aware of this?  Where are their priorities?  In Greg Chappell, they have hired one of the most brilliant minds in the cricket world today, but how can he succeed in such a climate of controversy and inconsistency?  For the immediate future, Rahul Dravid must be retained as captain.  The long-term issue would be whether India will break the shackles of cronyism and nepotism, or will the pestilential spectre of Jagmohan Dalmaiya continue to hover, in perpetuity, over Indian cricket?

This article appeared on Cricketnext.com on August 11, 2005

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