Rajat Subhra Chatterjee
0047
While I take the privilege in extending my heartfelt gratitude and thanks to all my well wishers for wishing me the very best on my ‘just gone’ Birthday, I also wish to reflect on what has happened to a very high profile, hugely result oriented, honest and brilliant legend who transformed Indian Cricket from being doomed – first as a Cricketer, then as the National Captain and then as the Head of Indian Cricket Board. This is very sad. Yes, I am talking about Saurav Chandidas Ganguly. To millions of Bengalees – a dear Maharaj. And to his peers a dear Dadi.
In my book “Captains XI – 60 Years”, published four years back, I had picked Saurav as one of best ever Cricket Captains who had played the game during 1955 and 2015. And he was placed on reasons amongst the very best XI Cricket Captains of World Cricket with detailed analysis. But if one looks back intently on what had happened to Ganguly throughout his cricket career, one will find hugely contrasting incidents that could easily have been avoided. But all of us are born with destiny and can never outwit our destiny remotely. We may be able to shift the ultimate happening; we may be able to prolong the inevitable with sheer determination and honest endeavor, yet, inevitable would take place ultimately. It has not escaped a legend like Saurav Ganguly either.
Before going back in to the past, let us keep focus on the present. While BCCI had been fighting to get the tenure of its Office Bearers extended by another three years and while after relentless team work and combined effort, the Hon. Supreme Court had given the verdict in their favour paving the road clear for Saurav, Jay Shah and Co to remain in seats for another term without any trouble, some people, behind the scene, had been smiling and were scheming the dirty plot in ousting Saurav from the President’s chair unceremoniously. Here also, Saurav has not been given an opportunity to opt out with honour but he is just being banished from his high position. Ganguly’s stature deserved a more respectful and glorious exit with honour.
If we look back on Ganguly’s career, we find that he after being appointed India Captain in the year 2000, completely transformed the Indian cricket scenario and made the team a winning unit. That is now a folklore. He was instrumental in bringing in Greg Chappell as India Coach as he proposed Chappell to Dalmiya and the passage was through. But immediately thereafter, Chappell and Ganguly did not see eye to eye on matters concerning the team and Ganguly was unceremoniously dropped from the team as the captain in October 2005 once he was out due to an injury. Rahul Dravid, the vice-captain, was made the new captain. Chappell then backed Dravid completely. What a irony of fate! Inglorious exit.
That Ganguly made a big come back in South Africa in 2006 is part of history. But no one would know how again ingloriously Ganguly was chopped off. During 2007 Australia tour by India, Ganguly was in the Test squad with Anil Kumble as the Captain. After the Test series, there would be a triangular one day series amongst India, Australia and Sri Lanka. The One day team was announced and Ganguly was not there. He made a quiet exit from an Australian Hotel one morning and found M S Dhoni, the new Captain at the base of the elevator when Dhoni was said to have quipped – “Oh you are leaving. Good Luck !” . Ganguly came back dark faced and insulted being dropped from One Day squad in which format he used to excel more. But the destiny gave him a big jolt.
In the Nagpur Test against Australia in November, 2008, Saurav scored 70 in the first innings and then quit Cricket after making an announcement before the series began that the series would be his last. Insiders say, he was forced to make that announcement and forced to retire. Saurav was reported to have said at that time – “I retired because at some point you’ve had enough. The reason is not because you have had enough of playing the sport but because you’ve had enough of getting selected all the time. Dropped/selected that’s part and parcel of sport,” In fact Saurav had had enough of selection sagas. Yet again inglorious exit.
Ganguly, after retiring from International cricket was chosen as the Captain of Kolkata Knight Riders in the first ever IPL in 2008. He scored 349 runs in the first IPL which was the highest for his franchise. Yet he was jolted by the Australian Coach John Buchanon in 2009 when Brendon McMullan was made the captain. Brendon led in 13 matches winning only 3 and loosing 9 with a winning percentage of 27 while Ganguly led in 2008 and 2010 and led in 27 matches winning 13 with a percentage of 48. Still he was not retained in 2011 and Gambhir was brought in to lead KKR. Yet once more inglorious exit.
And now Ganguly is removed from the Board President’s chair ! Quite unceremoniously. Quite humiliatingly. He certainly deserved a hugely decent send off after resurrecting Indian Cricket and installing correct men for correct position.
I am not a political astrologer. But the manner in which Saurav is being removed, it would have huge impact in Indian party politics. Bengal in particular and Indians in general will not sit idle in taking up the issue with appropriate forum causing a large scale embarrassment for people who caused this unceremonious incident to take place. You have to pay back in your own coin for your sins in this life time only. 2024 is not far away. They must have dug their own grave. Let us wait and see what happens.
