Saurav Ganguly turns 46 !! No prelude, no interlude , no pretext or context ... Unlike my other blogs where I conjure and cook the story , here I deviate from the ordinary . Because the topic is such that it leaves no place to build an introduction.
The name GANGULY throws up 1000 images .Rather it conjures .. From the out of place teenager in 1992 down under to the comeback man in 1996 in England to the undisputed leader of men between 2000-05 to the unbelievable GREG CHAPPELL saga and the ouster to the heroic comeback in 2006 at South Africa to the untimely end of road at Nagpur in 2008.. The story of Saurav Ganguly has the punchline of a top hollywood thriller . Larger than life image and numerous saga of heroism..
For me and a lot of people in media as well , Ganguly's biggest aberration is his background and upbringing . We Indians , like to fantacize small town boys' rise to the top which sells paperback stories ( much like MSD from Ranchi). Such is the craze for MASALA in any rags to riches background !!!
But Ganguly from Day 1 has been an exception .. In a family ladden with Sedans wealth and luxury , he chose to study first from a top educational insititute of Kolkata and am told he was pretty good in that as well . Coming from a business family which was wealthy and affluent , Ganguly had all it required to be business tycoon . But here destiny played a different role . The wealth that he inherited as a legacy didnot inspire him to become a successful heir and follow his father's footsteps but he found his natural talent in a game that ruled the country's heart ... CRICKET. Alhtough his initial flair was for Soccer which is Bengali's first love , his elder brother Snehasish who was already an established cricketer for Bengal influenced Ganguly and the later was slowly and surely inclined to cricket and a new chapter in Indian cricket was about to be written in a very special way.
Much like his entire life was to become a full series of drama and thrilling anecdotes , Ganguly's international career started with controversy . The word " Controversy " seemed at a point to be made for each other for Ganguly .
Like many others I feel strongly thay Ganguly should not have been taken on that ill fated tour down under in 1991-92. He was not prepared for that tour simply. He had scored very prolifically during the 1990-91 Ranji season which prompted the selection but Down Under and South Africa are considered to be two of the toughest tours for any cricketer and at 18-19 Ganguly was not simply ready for it . To add with it his rich background and section of the media which didnt like a Bengal cricketer coming into the side fuelled a nonsense story which harmed Ganguly more than anyone else . I personally believe no upcoming cricketer can refuse to carry " drinks " , even if he comes from a royal background but scoring 3 on a fast Brisbane pitch against a decent WI attack and the fact that media was against him and that he was not ready for International Cricket at that point of time ,propagated all the wrong stories at the wrong time and the fabrication of one that he refused to carry drinks even as a young and upcoming cricketer caused such a damage to his brimming career that it took him full 4 years to resurrect the same ..
I personally also believe that these 4 years did Ganguly more good than harm , as he could go back to the nets and work out. But what came out at Lords on that very memorable day of June 1996 where Ganguly made an immensely publicly scrutinizable debut both abroad and back home ( helped by Navjot Sidhu's mid way departure ) was that he was ready to give back to all those who took 4 years of his career and the sport he loved most.
That debut hundred in Lords' was iconic and time stopping in more ways than one . Not only did it announce to the whole world the arrival of a huge huge talent that was oppressed 4 years back, it also told the whole world of a man who possessed a BIG HEART AND STEELY RESOLVE to prove people wrong. Through out Ganguly's chequered , controversial and colorful career this has been a hallmark .. To come out winning amidst situations where others would have given up, Ganguly have waged such a salvo that even his greatest detractors have had to give in .. Hallmark of a truly great champion..
My blog today is not about the great career he has had both as a player and a phenomenal captain that he was .. On his birthday I salute the indomitable spirit and the wonderful leader and pathfinder that he has been and the seminal influence he has had on Indian cricket ..
As a cricketer Ganguly was mercurial rather than maverick and he has taken decisions which when clicked looked the greatest on earth and which when backfired have proved to be disastrous . One such decision which ultimately became the thorn in the neck and later led to his career being curtailed was the mother of all decision in 2005 beginning when the then Coach John Wright decided to call it a day as Indian coach citing personal reasons. The Ganguly - Wright combination was one of the greatest things that happened in Indian cricket for a long time and when it ended no one thought what was in offer for both Ganguly and Indian Cricket . Ganguly had appointed the junior Chappell brother as a batting coach for himself in the tour to Australia in 2003-04 where he reaped rich dividend . As a result when John Wright moved out, Ganguly had got Chappell to work with him. What probably went wrong in hind sight was the fact that both Ganguly and Chappell were high voltage fiesty individuals with huge egos ( being hugely successful in their careers) and also the fact that Ganguly was going through the worst slump of his career . His captaincy probably was facing an expiry date after 5 hugely successful years and it was taking a toll on his batting . Chappell had pointed that out during the ill fated Zimbabwe tour , and had " requested "( did he request ?) dada to step down as skipper and play as a player . To this, Ganguly reacted sharply and to this day, it will remain a mystery , who had leaked Chapell's mail to BCCI to media in which Chappell had asked BCCI that Ganguly be removed as skipper . Who ever it was , didnt do to good to Indian Cricket and to Ganguly as well . Also the fact that Late Jagmohan Dalmiya, widely tipped as Ganguly's Godfather (much akin to what N. Srinivas was to MSD ) had lost much of his power in BCCI where Sharad Power was on the ascendency and as a result Dalmiya's opposite group in BCCI found it easy to depose Ganguly off rather in an unceremonious way much like his first ouster in 1992 when he was a teen ager . Indian cricket and players more often than not have been controlled by Board Officials and few powerful people close to or associated with Politics . Till the Lodha Commission came into fore, Indian Cricket has been always guilty of being controlled by either Mr. Dalmiya, Mr. Pawar, Mr. Srinivas etc who have always had their own groups and own interests not that always the groups were detrimental . One cannot undermine the fact that both Saurav and Dhoni would not have had such extended run in their career even with a poor run of form if Mr. Dalmiya or Mr . Srinivas hadnt come to their rescue. So much so for the politics of Indian Cricket.
My point of elaboration of Ganguly's unceremonious exit first as a captain and then as player is not to highlight his misery which of course was unparallel but the way he made his comeback 10 months down the line at the age of 34. I think like majority of his huge followers' he had also at some point thought that it was not possible to make a come back . And there lies the mistake . DADA has been such a cricketer with such steely resolve that only fools' thought it to be otherwise . The fact also helped that the selection committee which dropped him was also on its way out and the new committee under Dilip Vengsarkar had thought differently . The fact also helped that Saurav's replacement Suresh Raina and Md. Kaif were total failures .. Fortune favors the brave and it definitely helped Saurav , but to come back after being dropped wrongfully requires a lot of courage to be displayed and showing that at an age when people think of retiring , was a master comeback. It again proved what character he possessed as a man and a player .
Ganguly's greatest legacy lay in his influence on the younger and budding players that he brought in the team and the way that he backed them. His greatest strength lay in understanding the insecurity of the younger players who were chopped and changed , since he himself was a victim of an unfair decision at the beginning of his career which almost ruined his career . Once he brought the players in , he gave them huge support and boost so that they could establish themselves.
Happy Birthday to the man who changed the face of Indian Cricket , the man for whom Indian cricket was first looked upon differently. A man who was fearless, un tiring, non parochial and brave. A man under whom India learnt to win test matches abroad consistently .. The man who brought about the change in the game whose rewards the current generation is reaping now.
The name GANGULY throws up 1000 images .Rather it conjures .. From the out of place teenager in 1992 down under to the comeback man in 1996 in England to the undisputed leader of men between 2000-05 to the unbelievable GREG CHAPPELL saga and the ouster to the heroic comeback in 2006 at South Africa to the untimely end of road at Nagpur in 2008.. The story of Saurav Ganguly has the punchline of a top hollywood thriller . Larger than life image and numerous saga of heroism..
For me and a lot of people in media as well , Ganguly's biggest aberration is his background and upbringing . We Indians , like to fantacize small town boys' rise to the top which sells paperback stories ( much like MSD from Ranchi). Such is the craze for MASALA in any rags to riches background !!!
But Ganguly from Day 1 has been an exception .. In a family ladden with Sedans wealth and luxury , he chose to study first from a top educational insititute of Kolkata and am told he was pretty good in that as well . Coming from a business family which was wealthy and affluent , Ganguly had all it required to be business tycoon . But here destiny played a different role . The wealth that he inherited as a legacy didnot inspire him to become a successful heir and follow his father's footsteps but he found his natural talent in a game that ruled the country's heart ... CRICKET. Alhtough his initial flair was for Soccer which is Bengali's first love , his elder brother Snehasish who was already an established cricketer for Bengal influenced Ganguly and the later was slowly and surely inclined to cricket and a new chapter in Indian cricket was about to be written in a very special way.
Much like his entire life was to become a full series of drama and thrilling anecdotes , Ganguly's international career started with controversy . The word " Controversy " seemed at a point to be made for each other for Ganguly .
Like many others I feel strongly thay Ganguly should not have been taken on that ill fated tour down under in 1991-92. He was not prepared for that tour simply. He had scored very prolifically during the 1990-91 Ranji season which prompted the selection but Down Under and South Africa are considered to be two of the toughest tours for any cricketer and at 18-19 Ganguly was not simply ready for it . To add with it his rich background and section of the media which didnt like a Bengal cricketer coming into the side fuelled a nonsense story which harmed Ganguly more than anyone else . I personally believe no upcoming cricketer can refuse to carry " drinks " , even if he comes from a royal background but scoring 3 on a fast Brisbane pitch against a decent WI attack and the fact that media was against him and that he was not ready for International Cricket at that point of time ,propagated all the wrong stories at the wrong time and the fabrication of one that he refused to carry drinks even as a young and upcoming cricketer caused such a damage to his brimming career that it took him full 4 years to resurrect the same ..
I personally also believe that these 4 years did Ganguly more good than harm , as he could go back to the nets and work out. But what came out at Lords on that very memorable day of June 1996 where Ganguly made an immensely publicly scrutinizable debut both abroad and back home ( helped by Navjot Sidhu's mid way departure ) was that he was ready to give back to all those who took 4 years of his career and the sport he loved most.
That debut hundred in Lords' was iconic and time stopping in more ways than one . Not only did it announce to the whole world the arrival of a huge huge talent that was oppressed 4 years back, it also told the whole world of a man who possessed a BIG HEART AND STEELY RESOLVE to prove people wrong. Through out Ganguly's chequered , controversial and colorful career this has been a hallmark .. To come out winning amidst situations where others would have given up, Ganguly have waged such a salvo that even his greatest detractors have had to give in .. Hallmark of a truly great champion..
My blog today is not about the great career he has had both as a player and a phenomenal captain that he was .. On his birthday I salute the indomitable spirit and the wonderful leader and pathfinder that he has been and the seminal influence he has had on Indian cricket ..
As a cricketer Ganguly was mercurial rather than maverick and he has taken decisions which when clicked looked the greatest on earth and which when backfired have proved to be disastrous . One such decision which ultimately became the thorn in the neck and later led to his career being curtailed was the mother of all decision in 2005 beginning when the then Coach John Wright decided to call it a day as Indian coach citing personal reasons. The Ganguly - Wright combination was one of the greatest things that happened in Indian cricket for a long time and when it ended no one thought what was in offer for both Ganguly and Indian Cricket . Ganguly had appointed the junior Chappell brother as a batting coach for himself in the tour to Australia in 2003-04 where he reaped rich dividend . As a result when John Wright moved out, Ganguly had got Chappell to work with him. What probably went wrong in hind sight was the fact that both Ganguly and Chappell were high voltage fiesty individuals with huge egos ( being hugely successful in their careers) and also the fact that Ganguly was going through the worst slump of his career . His captaincy probably was facing an expiry date after 5 hugely successful years and it was taking a toll on his batting . Chappell had pointed that out during the ill fated Zimbabwe tour , and had " requested "( did he request ?) dada to step down as skipper and play as a player . To this, Ganguly reacted sharply and to this day, it will remain a mystery , who had leaked Chapell's mail to BCCI to media in which Chappell had asked BCCI that Ganguly be removed as skipper . Who ever it was , didnt do to good to Indian Cricket and to Ganguly as well . Also the fact that Late Jagmohan Dalmiya, widely tipped as Ganguly's Godfather (much akin to what N. Srinivas was to MSD ) had lost much of his power in BCCI where Sharad Power was on the ascendency and as a result Dalmiya's opposite group in BCCI found it easy to depose Ganguly off rather in an unceremonious way much like his first ouster in 1992 when he was a teen ager . Indian cricket and players more often than not have been controlled by Board Officials and few powerful people close to or associated with Politics . Till the Lodha Commission came into fore, Indian Cricket has been always guilty of being controlled by either Mr. Dalmiya, Mr. Pawar, Mr. Srinivas etc who have always had their own groups and own interests not that always the groups were detrimental . One cannot undermine the fact that both Saurav and Dhoni would not have had such extended run in their career even with a poor run of form if Mr. Dalmiya or Mr . Srinivas hadnt come to their rescue. So much so for the politics of Indian Cricket.
My point of elaboration of Ganguly's unceremonious exit first as a captain and then as player is not to highlight his misery which of course was unparallel but the way he made his comeback 10 months down the line at the age of 34. I think like majority of his huge followers' he had also at some point thought that it was not possible to make a come back . And there lies the mistake . DADA has been such a cricketer with such steely resolve that only fools' thought it to be otherwise . The fact also helped that the selection committee which dropped him was also on its way out and the new committee under Dilip Vengsarkar had thought differently . The fact also helped that Saurav's replacement Suresh Raina and Md. Kaif were total failures .. Fortune favors the brave and it definitely helped Saurav , but to come back after being dropped wrongfully requires a lot of courage to be displayed and showing that at an age when people think of retiring , was a master comeback. It again proved what character he possessed as a man and a player .
Ganguly's greatest legacy lay in his influence on the younger and budding players that he brought in the team and the way that he backed them. His greatest strength lay in understanding the insecurity of the younger players who were chopped and changed , since he himself was a victim of an unfair decision at the beginning of his career which almost ruined his career . Once he brought the players in , he gave them huge support and boost so that they could establish themselves.
Happy Birthday to the man who changed the face of Indian Cricket , the man for whom Indian cricket was first looked upon differently. A man who was fearless, un tiring, non parochial and brave. A man under whom India learnt to win test matches abroad consistently .. The man who brought about the change in the game whose rewards the current generation is reaping now.
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