Ganguly is Indian Boycott, accuses British media

Ganguly is Indian Boycott, accuses British media
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

LONDON, AUG 20: Indian captain Saurav Ganguly, who plays English county cricket for Lancashire, has come in for severe criticism from the British media on Sunday, with one of them comparing him to a "sort of Indian Geoff Boycott".

Twenty-five years ago, the local press fired similar words at Boycott: "(he) stands accused of being aloof, not shouldering enough responsibility and failing to produce his best form when it really matters". With of course one difference - "Boycott was rarely short of runs; it was just that he didn't always score them fast enough, or at the right time, to suit his team, the Sunday Times wrote.

Ganguly has scored fewer than 400 runs in the championship. In limited-overs his form has only flickered and the nadir was reached on August 15 when, in a crucial national league flood-lit match against Kent, he was at the other end when Flintoff and Neil Fairbrother were run out. Lancashire, who are now almost certain to be relegated, lost by seven wickets.

Ganguly made 50 and Sky TV's cameras were quick to spot that when he turned, in customary fashion, to raise his bat to the dressing room, the balcony was empty - as public a snub as has ever been administered by a team to one of its players.

Ganguly's hand in three county record one-day stands has been polluted by a first-class average of under 30, The Sunday Telegraph daily said.

Given the ceaseless, unforgiving glare that pursues those saddled with leading a team representing the planet's most cricket-obsessed land, perhaps "he regards all this, however, subconsciously as a chance to relax?" the newspaper commented rather wryly.

Depressed, forgivably, by such inclement climes, bonding has scarcely been enhanced by a preference for travelling with wife rather than team. To see him trudge to and from slip here was to sense a chap itching to be homeward bound, the commentator Rob Steen said.

The Daily Telegraph earlier castigated Lancashire for their 98-run defeat last Tuesday against Gloucestershire and put the blame mostly on Ganguly.

"In particular the performance of Saurav Ganguly was a disgrace. He ambled out to open the innings in blue shoes, which should bring him an immediate club fine, and he appeared not to have a care in the world as he plodded to four from 26 balls," the daily commented.

"When he was caught at third man, aiming an appalling heave to leg, he gave every impression of wishing he was anywhere but Bristol. If that is how he approaches the overseas player's job, Lancashire should take him at his own estimation and pay him up this very day, because he is wasting his time and theirs," the daily wrote.