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"There is no point playing like this. I am not willing to play at their (selectors') mercy. They will pick you now and then dump you. Why should I be the sacrificial goat all the time? It was difficult to accept," Ganguly, who announced his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday, said.
"If a gun is held at your head, how far can you bear it. That too after playing 450 matches. I played badly in only one series. But others are not dropped. I have scored the highest number of runs after comeback," he was quoted as saying by Bengali daily Aaj Kaal.
"How long would I have played? May be upto 2009. May be seven more Tests. For that I was not prepared to take any more humiliation," he added.
Ganguly said being dropped from the Irani Trophy Rest of India squad by the selection panel led by Vengsarkar was the last nail in the coffin and he thought he had faced enough humiliation by then.
"I never thought I will be out of the Irani team. I couldn't sleep for one month in anger, agony. Had this committee (new selection committee) come three years ago, things might have been different," said the 36-year-old left hander.
When reminded of Sunil Gavaskar's comments that he and VVS Laxman are always put under pressure, Ganguly was at his sarcastic best.
"Everything happens in Indian cricket. When Greg Chappell dropped me, he chose T P Singh to replace me. Where is he now?" Ganguly asked.
"Some have not scored any runs in the last three series, some have not scored any run during the last one year. Some have changed their hair style more number of times than the number of runs they have scored. I was dropped despite scoring the highest number of runs following my comeback."
Dropping from the Irani Trophy hurt Ganguly so much that he considered it more painful than being sacked from the team after a spat with then coach Chappell.
"Exclusion from the Irani team hurt more. Then I thought, it is the end," he said when asked which of the two was more painful.
With all the trials and tribulations in his eventful but illustrious 16-year-long international cricketer, Ganguly is a satisfied man.
"I have played 109 Tests, over 300 ODIs. I am the fourth highest run getter in the country, the total runs in Tests and ODIs being 18,251. Ninth in the world. I took the team to World Cup final. Defeated Australia in Australia. Won the series in Pakistan, altogether 21 Test wins. But, you don't get everything you want," he said.
The Bengal stalwart said he carefully mulled over his retirement decision and thought it was the right time to go.
"I have thought over it a lot. I took the decision after considering everything. I thought it was the best time to go. I wanted to end the matter before the Australia series started. All speculation was telling on me. The selectors said something and did something else."
Asked if he was sad over the fact that he would not play again for India, Ganguly said, "I am also a human being. Cricket is a passion. Anybody will feel sad. But it is not as tough as I thought it will be. Now I feel a huge load has been removed."
On playing in the swangsong series, the left-hander said he would want to end his career on a high by helping the team win the series against Australia.
"I aim at the team winning the series. It will be great if I end up on the winning side. I am concentrating on the four Tests," he said.
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Dada,We want to rise a fund for help the people of Bangladesh against HIV AIDS and Children Rights. For that purpose we want to give auction the autograph bat of team India. If you help us to create the fund then this will be more effective.Please Dada help the poor and distress people of Bangladesh.
every dog has its day !!!! It is the game. They get top money for what ? I hope Indian cricket clean all DEAD WOOD out on regular basis. Let the fan enjoy the competitive game.
OK Saurav, you agree that you played 400 matches etc. Isn't it time to go. Do we need to be pushed out? Graceful exit is the best. You could have saved all he agony. This is a lesson to other stubborn old men in the team. Look at Steve Waugh, McGrath, Warm, Nasser... they quite while on top.Dont't wait until you are asked WHY NOT?. Do it while people can scream and ask WHY? I am a great fan of Saurav, but I think he stuck around long enough and shelf life is up.
Dada,only for Bengalis and the likes of them fanatics,who think they are India and rest of India are their only to serve their cause.this applies to maharashtrains and tamilians as well.His outbursts is the result of tussle between Bengalis and Maharahtrains(read as Pawar,Vengasarkar,Gavaskar ,TendulkarS)Just as in politics they wanted everything for them and never considered people of other states.under his captainship India won more matches because of players like Dravid,Laxman and pathans.Credit should go to them,not ganguly.He was responsible for grupism-you are with me or you are out.Thank God He is leaving.We are better of without such cricketers than more wins.
these words are not good from a 400 match playing cricketer..remember ..he was not such good player wen he entered indian team (@ time ravi shstri,srikanth and kapil dev
This is called Time Machine. Couple of years ago Dilip Vengsarkar was also humilated in same way. Now some more years later when Ganguli becomes part of Selection committe, he will do same thing to some retiring star.
THE LOGIC WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO SOURAV IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO DRAVID, KUMBLE, LAXMAN AND SACHIN-----WHY SOURAV IS ONLY FACING HUMILIATION? IN LAST ONE YEAR SOURAV WAS BEST CRICKETER OF ASIA WHILE DRAVID WAS FARING MISERABLY IN EVERY INNINGS--BUT DRAVID WAS NOT DROPPED-----NO ONE HINTED THAT HE SHOULD RETIRE ----NO ONE SAID THERE ARE 3 VERY GOOD YOUGNG RIGHT HANDED BATSMEN--VIRAT KOHLI, ROHIT SHARMA AND BADRINATH. NO ONE IS SAYING THAT THERE ARE TWO VERY GOOD LEG SPINNERS PIJUSH CHAWLA AND AMIT MISHRA SO WHY KUMBLE? NO IS SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT SACHIN ALTHOUGH HE BATTED LIKE A NOVICE IN SRILANKA----IF YOU CANNOT PLAY SPINNERS HOW YOU CAN BE COMPARED WITH BRADMAN?HAD SOURAV PLAYED ONE DAY MATCHED FROM 2005 TO 2008 HE WOULD HAVE BEEN SECOND HIGHEST RUN GETTER AND ALSO SECOND HIGHEST C ENTURY MAKERS IN ONE DAY CRICKET---IT IS QUITE CLEAR HE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO GET THAT GLORY
Dada has been an excellent bat but off late his performances were not of that calibur. Whatever reasons he gave of being hounded out but his performances in Lanka and his recent scores of 16 and 5 against ordinary Newzealand A team forced him to retire. He may say that he made this decision after being dropped from Irani trophy but the fact is his decision came only after a very poor showing against mediocar Newzealand A team. Dada saw writings on the wall. Now his out burst is nothing but politics and to gather sympathy in case he fails against OZ again. My gut feeling is that he will fail again and his poor fielding was aparent in Banglore on Day 1.Indian greats do not retire gracefully rather they go screaming like kids being dragged out of candy store. It is pathetic display on Dada's part.
Sir/MadamI fully support Mr. Ganguly in his decision but he should not bother too much for the treatment met out to him despite being the best cricket caption the country has produced.He rendered yeoman services to the country and bring laurel to his name and to the country. His national spirit as well as sportsman spirit both on and off the field deserves to be precisely commended. But the way he was treated by the people in the BCCI whose contribution to the sports may not be worth highlighting, deserve to be deplored and condemned. Perhaps similar treatment was also given to some or the other veterans in the sports and in the other government services. The defense service personnel awarded by the President of India for their bravery to defend the territorial integrity of the country were discriminated in violation of the constitution of the country by the anti social authorities in the civilian industries. But that is way of life in the biggest democracy in the world. The print media as well as visual media needs to play more positive role to expose those people in the high places for their dirty role that denies the right place to the people who are sacrificing their life for the country,
DADA GAVE INDIAN CRICKET A FLAMBOYANS AND SO DID INDIAN CRICKET TO DADA, INFACT THE NATION GIVES THEM ALL SO MUCH TOO. PLS SHOULD KNOW WHEN TO RETIRE AND MAKE WAY FOR YOUNGER BATSMAN.
it's very difficult for me to understand why the selectors behaving to sourav like this?
Though Ganguli has blamed several people for his insult but I must say that the Media is also responsible for Ganguli's sanyas. Let all the channels analyse their earlier programmes and see what insulting words they have used for Ganguli, Sachin, Kumble, Dravid, Laxman and Sehwag. Bureh Sher ho gaye dher used to their pet slogan as if they are not media channels but Poets. The another culpirit is Chappel who destroyed our team and its leader and media always took side of Chappel and not Ganguli and his brigade. Now what is fun in saying that he is a great player. I condemn the media for their uncalled for utterances against senior players. They should mend their way and should not be always on fault finding mission.
I think Dada was hounded because of his closeness to Jagmohan Dalmia at one time. So the Mumbai lobby led by Pawar, Kiran More and Vengsarkar illtreated dada to settle scores with Dalmia.
Ganguly on right path
This is very unfortunate we allowed a foreign coach to humilate our best cricket captain ever a person of Gangulys stature can not be humilated , these foreign coaches should learn to and respect our national heros you can not humilate a nation foot ball hero in a country like Holland or Germany like this BUT WE HAVE BEEN SLAVES FOR MORE THAN 1 THOSAND YEARS
Can't agree more with u chanakya. pandering to foreigners has been the bane of our society from time immemorial. Look at our adz these days. All this in the name of broadmindedness, openness and what not. Only God know when will this anamoly stand corrected. :et us hope that the pressure duznt tell upon dada and he performs so well that selectors themselves appeal our hero to continue.