cricketCritics

Andrew Flintoff, the England allrounder, has said that he thought it was hard to work with Sourav Ganguly, the India captain, and terms him an awkward character.
In an extract from Being Freddie, his autobiography published this week, Flintoff spoke of when Ganguly was his Lancashire team-mate in 2000. "Ganguly just didn't work out at all," he wrote. "You can accept a player not playing well, because we all have our ups and downs in our career, but he just didn't want to get involved."He wasn't interested in the other players and it became a situation where it was 10 players and Ganguly in the team. He turned up as if he was royalty - it was like having Prince Charles on your side. There were rumours he was asking people to carry his coffin for him, although he never asked me.
"I've been out for dinner with him [Ganguly] since that season a couple of times on England duty, the most notable time being that winter in Kenya for the ICC Trophy," Flintoff continued. "We went out to a little curry house he had found and saw the umpire Venkatraghavan sitting over the other side of the room. Straight away he got up and went over to talk to him for 20 minutes while I sat like a spare part eating my curry on my own. We say hello to each other now and we are pleasant to each other, but it doesn't go any further than that. I don't dislike the bloke, but it's a struggle with him."

courtesy: <http://www.cricinfo.com/>

Ganguly and Chappell, involved in a public spat which has made headlines since the last few days, had both deposed before a six-member review committee of the board which had hammered out a compromise between the two in Mumbai on Tuesday.
"In a way I feel I have been vindicated because I hadn't done anything wrong," Ganguly told Deccan Herald, a Bangalore-based daily. "The review committee gave me a patient hearing and I put my point of view across to them. I think they were reasonably convinced with my replies and I am very happy the matter has been settled now ... You could say I am happy and relieved in equal parts."
Asked whether it was possible for him and Chappell to work as a team, he said, "I don't see any reason why we cannot. After all, both of us are interested in the welfare of the team and Indian cricket."
He added that there was lot of cricket ahead for the Indian team and it was necessary to forget the past and concentrate on the job at hand. "Whatever happened is in the past I am confident we can come together in the future and work well," he said. "We have a lot of cricket ahead of us starting with the series against Sri Lanka next month. After a break for a couple of weeks it is time for the Challenger series. We need to do well because our record in one-day finals is not great."
Ganguly's future as captain, ahead of the home series against Sri Lanka, is likely to be decided on October 13, when the national selection committee, headed by Kiran More, meet at Mohali, on the final day of the Challenger series. The Press Trust of India quoted a board source who said: "The committee is tentatively scheduled to meet on the 13th evening to choose the Indian skipper. The selectors would meet the next day [Oct 14] to select the rest of the team members."
India and Sri Lanka are scheduled to play a seven-match ODI series commencing at Nagpur on October 25. The senior selection panel is scheduled to meet on October 1 at Delhi to choose the captains and team members of the India Seniors and the India A and B squads for the October 10 to 13 Challenger limited-overs series that will be played under lights.
More is also expected to talk to Sachin Tendulkar, still recuperating from his elbow surgery, about his availability for the tournament. According to board sources, More was in constant touch with Indian team physio John Gloster on the star player's progress on the fitness front.

courtesty: http://www.cricinfo.com/

Due to comments made by Mr Sourav Ganguly during the press conference following his innings in the recently completed Test match in Bulawayo and the subsequent media speculation I would like to make my position clear on two points.
1. At no stage did I ask Mr Ganguly to step down from the captaincy of the Indian team and;
2. At no stage have I threatened to resign my position as Indian team coach.
Mr Ganguly came to me following the recently completed tri-series of one-day matches here in Zimbabwe and asked me to tell him honestly where he stood as a player in my view. I told him that I thought he was struggling as a player and that it was affecting his ability to lead the team effectively and that the pressure of captaincy was affecting his ability to play to his potential. I also told him that his state of mind was fragile and it showed in the way that he made decisions on and off the field in relation to the team, especially team selection. A number of times during the tri-series the tour selectors had chosen a team and announced it to the group only for Sourav to change his mind on the morning of the game and want to change the team.
On at least one occasion he did change the team and on the morning of the final I had to talk him out of making another last-minute change that I believe would have destroyed team morale and damaged the mental state of the individuals concerned. I also told Sourav that his nervous state was affecting the team in other ways as he was prone to panic during pressure situations in games and that his nervous demeanour was putting undue pressure on the rest of the team. His nervous pacing of the rooms during our batting in the final plus his desire to change the batting order during our innings in the final had also contributed to nervousness in the players waiting to go in to bat. His reluctance to bat first in games I suggested was also giving wrong signals to the team and the opposition and his nervousness at the crease facing bowlers like Shane Bond from NZ was also affecting morale in the dressing room.

On the basis of this and other observations and comments from players in the squad about the unsettling effect Sourav was having on the group I suggested to Sourav that he should consider stepping down from the captaincy at the end of the tour in the interests of the team and in his own best interests if he wanted to prolong his playing career. I told him of my own experiences toward the end of my career and cited other players such as Border, Taylor and Steve Waugh, all of whom struggled with batting form toward the end of their tenure as Australian captain.
We discussed other issues in relation to captaincy and the time and effort it took that was eating into his mental reserves and making it difficult to prepare properly for batting in games. He commented that he had enjoyed being free of those responsibilities in the time that he was in Sri Lanka following his ban from international cricket and that he would consider my suggestion.
I also raised the matter of selection for the first Test with Sourav and asked him where he thought he should bat. He said 'number 5'. I told him that he might like to consider opening in the Test as the middle order was going to be a tight battle with Kaif and Yuvraj demanding selection. Sourav asked me if I was serious. I said it was something to be considered, but it had to be his decision.
The following day Sourav batted in the match against Zimbabwe 'A' team in the game in Mutare. I am not sure of the exact timing of events because I was in the nets with other players when Sourav went in to bat, but the new ball had either just been taken or was imminent when I saw Sourav walking from the field holding his right arm. I assumed he had been hit and made my way to the players' area where Sourav was receiving treatment from the team physiotherapist, John Gloster.
When I enquired as to what had happened Sourav said he had felt a click in his elbow as he played a ball through the leg side and that he thought he should have it investigated. Sourav had complained of pain to his elbow at various stages of the one-day series, but he had resisted having any comprehensive investigation done and, from my observation, had been spasmodic in his treatment habits, often not using ice-packs for the arm that had been prepared for him by John Gloster. I suggested, as had John Gloster, that we get some further tests done immediately. Sourav rejected these suggestions and said he would be 'fine'. When I queried what he meant by 'fine' he said he would be fit for the Test match. I then queried why then was it necessary to be off the field now. He said that he was just taking 'precautions'.
Rather than make a scene with other players and officials in the vicinity I decided to leave the matter and observe what Sourav would do from that point on. After the loss of Kaif, Yuvraj and Karthik to the new ball, Sourav returned to the crease with the ball now around 20 overs old. He struggled for runs against a modest attack and eventually threw his wicket away trying to hit one of the spinners over the leg side.
The next day I enquired with a number of the players as to what they had thought of Sourav's retirement. The universal response was that it was 'just Sourav' as they recounted a list of times when Sourav had suffered from mystery injuries that usually disappeared as quickly as they had come. This disturbed me because it confirmed for me that he was in a fragile state of mind and it was affecting the mental state of other members of the squad.
When we arrived in Bulawayo I decided I needed to ask Sourav if he had over-played the injury to avoid the danger period of the new ball as it had appeared to me and others within the touring party that he had protected himself at the expense of others. He denied the suggestion and asked why he would do that against such a modest attack. I said that he was the only one who could answer that question.
I was so concerned about the affect that Sourav's actions were having on the team that I decided I could not wait until selection meeting that evening to inform him that I had serious doubts about picking him for the first Test.
I explained that, in my view, I felt we had to pick Kaif and Yuvraj following their good form in the one-day series and that Sehwag, Gambhir, Laxman and Dravid had to play. He said that his record was better than Kaif and Yuvraj and that they had not proved themselves in Test cricket. I countered with the argument that they had to be given a chance to prove themselves on a consistent basis or we would never know. I also said that their form demanded that they be selected now.
Sourav asked me whether I thought he should be captain of the team. I said that I had serious doubts that he was in the right frame of mind to do it. He asked me if I thought he should step down. I said that it was not my decision to make, that only he could make that decision, but if he did make that decision he had to do it in the right manner or it would have even more detrimental effects than if he didn't stand down. I said that now was not the time to make the decision but that we should discuss it at the selection meeting to be held later in the day.
Sourav then said that if I didn't want him to be captain that he would inform Rahul Dravid that was going to stand down. I reiterated that it was not my decision to make but he should give it due consideration under the circumstances but not to do it hastily. At that point Sourav went to Rahul and the two of them conferred briefly and then Sourav left the field and entered the dressing room. At that stage I joined the start of the training session.
A short time later Mr Chowdhary came on to the field and informed me that Sourav had told him that I did not want him as captain and that Sourav wanted to leave Zimbabwe immediately if he wasn't playing. I then joined Mr Chowdhary and Rahul Dravid in the dressing room where we agreed that this was not the outcome that any of us wanted and that the ramifications would not be in the best interests of the team.
We then spent some time with Sourav and eventually convinced him that he should stay on as captain for the two Tests and then consider his future. In my view it was not an ideal solution but it was better than the alternative of him leaving on a bad note. I believe he has earned the right to leave in a fitting manner. We all agreed that this was a matter that should stay between us and should not, under any circumstances, be discussed with the media.
The matter remained quiet until the press conference after the game when a journalist asked Sourav if he had been asked to step down before the Test. Sourav replied that he had but he did not want to elaborate and make an issue of it. I was then called to the press conference where I was asked if I knew anything of Sourav being asked to step down before the game. I replied that a number of issues had been raised regarding selection but as they were selection matters I did not wish to make any further comment.
Apart from a brief interview on ESPN before which I emphasized that I did not wish to discuss the issue because it was a selection matter I have resisted all other media approaches on the matter.
Since then various reports have surfaced that I had threatened to resign. I do not know where that rumour has come from because I have spoken to no one in regard to this because I have no intention of resigning. I assume that some sections of the media, being starved of information, have made up their own stories.
At the completion of the Test match I was approached by VVS Laxman with a complaint that Sourav had approached him on the eve of the Test saying that I had told Sourav that I did not want Laxman in the team for Test matches. I denied that I had made such a remark to Sourav, or anybody else for that matter, as, on the contrary, I saw Laxman as an integral part of the team. He asked how Sourav could have said what he did. I said that the only way we could go to the bottom of the matter was to speak to Sourav and have him repeat the allegation in front of me.
I arranged for a meeting with the two of them that afternoon. The meeting took place just after 6pm in my room at the Rainbow Hotel in Bulawayo. I told Sourav that Laxman had come to me complaining that Sourav had made some comments to Laxman prior to the Test. I asked Sourav if he would care to repeat the comment in my presence. Sourav then rambled on about how I had told him that I did not see a place for Laxman in one-day cricket, something that I had discussed with Sourav and the selection panel and about which I had spoken to Laxman at the end of the Sri Lankan tour.
Sourav mentioned nothing about the alleged conversation regarding Laxman and Test cricket even when I pushed him on it later in the discussion. As we had to leave for a team function we ended the conversation without Sourav adequately explaining his comments to Laxman.
Again, this is not an isolated incident because I have had other players come to me regarding comments that Sourav had made to them that purports to be comments from me to Sourav about the particular player. In each case the comments that Sourav has passed on to the individual are figments of Sourav's imagination. One can only assume that he does it to unnerve the individual who, in each case, has been a middle order batsman.
Sourav has missed the point of my discussions with him on this matter. It has less to do with his form than it does with his attitude toward the team. Everything he does is designed to maximise his chance of success and is usually detrimental to someone else's chances.
Despite meeting with him in Mumbai after his appointment as captain and speaking with him about these matters and his reluctance to do the preparation and training that is expected of everyone else in the squad he continues to set a bad example.
Greg King's training reports continue to show Sourav as the person who does the least fitness and training work based on the criterion that has been developed by the support staff to monitor the work load of all the players.
We have also developed parameters of batting, bowling, fielding and captaincy that we believe embodies the 'Commitment to Excellence' theme that I espoused at my interview and Sourav falls well below the acceptable level in all areas. I will be pleased to present this documentation when I meet with the special committee in Mumbai later this month.
I can assure you sir that all my actions in this matter, and all others since my appointment, have been with the aim of improving the team performance toward developing a team that will represent India with distinctions in Test match and one-day cricket.
As I said to you during our meeting in Colombo, I have serious reservations about the attitude of some players and about Sourav and his ability to take this team to a new high, and none of the things he has done since his reappointment has caused me to change my view. In fact, it has only served to confirm that it is time for him to move on and let someone else build their team toward the 2007 World Cup.
This team has been made to be fearful and distrusting by the rumour mongering and deceit that is Sourav's modus operandi of divide and rule. Certain players have been treated with favour, all of them bowlers, while others have been shunted up and down the order or left out of the team to suit Sourav's whims.
John Wright obviously allowed this to go on to the detriment of the team. I am not prepared to sit back and allow this to continue or we will get the same results we have been seeing for some time now.
It is time that all players were treated with fairness and equity and that good behaviours and attitudes are rewarded at the selection table rather than punished.

I can assure you of my very best intentions.

Yours sincerely,

Greg Chappell MBE

This was a fun match with fun strategy, we played against EEE. They won the toss and selected to bat first, shekar had a storming start with ball. EEE lost five wickets in 5 overs, shekar took 3 wickets and I took 2 wickets, EEE were struggling with 18 runs on board. As told before there was no captain to guide our team, we make a team decision, we planned to enjoy this game and decided every one in the team should bowl one over atleast, including wicket keeper. Every one showed their skill in bowling, EEE were allout for 96 runs. We took one hour break since the session was completed with in time. Our strategy was to send the batting order upside down, every one in team liked that. Finally we sent, Deepthi nag and konda to open the innings, Deepthi was a good technical palyer, Deepthi never used to play matches, but this time he was opening innings, (after the match we asked EEE team what did they feel when they first entered to field) every one in EEE team thought these were the two people standing in the middle, if we pick them early we would be on track soon. Deepthi was struggling in the middle as he was out of practise for a long time. He was bowled in first over, wickets fell in quick session, we lost 4 wickets in 6 overs with 36 runs on board. Next sreenath was in middle he scored quickly 14 runs with three 4's and returned to pavilion. Our score was 50 odd runs with 5 wickets down, EEE thought top order has been collapased and they had a good chance to win here. But they weren't aware that still top order batsmen were waiting to come. Two batsmen in the middle were sumanth and tap, they were playing well, I mean to say they were playing a test innings frustrating EEE team. Tap returned to pavilion quickly, Chandan was next batsmen to go, he is good player and has always there for team with odd 20's at crucial times. Sumanth and Chandan after enjoying some time in middle took our team to victory.

“Shruthi”- hmmm this was college fest of C.B.I.T, at this time we used have cricket “knock-out tournament”. Here we used to play against different branches, we are E.C.E. Two years I watched my seniors steal the show. Let me tell you one thing E.C.E was tough team to face, there were some brilliant players in the team, including the captain of C.B.I.T cricket team Srikanth, he was our team captain. Joshi who was famous in C.B.I.T for his extraordinary batting, he has the record in his pocket for making highest score by an individual in the tournament, 145 n.o. Our team consisted of 5 college team players, including the captain and two strike bowlers of C.B.I.T. It was “Shruthi-2003”, Vishnu (3rd year) was not in the team for some personal reasons. I was the only player from 3rd year to play in the team, and there was a first year E.C.E student named Arjun Dhoni who played for us, he was selected for Under-19 India probable. If you are a cricket lover then you might have seen his name in News paper for making centuries in league matches. Our first match was against C.S.E M-Tech students, we played at other ground which is two miles away from C.B.I.T, and my dream was to play in C.B.I.T. We lost the toss, but the opposition selected to field. Varun and Dhoni were the openers, they started to play slow game, we expected a lot from Dhoni but he was out for just 5 runs. I was the next batsmen in, playing for the first time in tournament I was little bit nervous initially, but I played well to score 47 runs. I was top scorer in the team, we won that match comfortably. Next match was with Civil Engineers, and it was to be played at C.B.I.T ground.
Finally we were there; we won the toss and elected to bat. The strategy was different; impressed by my performance in the last match they sent me to open the innings with Varun. We were in middle in 10 min; I was waiting for this day badly. The atmosphere was great, there were slogans all-round the ground, “Gali gali main shor hain, E.C.E Sher hain” “Jeethe ga bai jeethega E.C.E jeethega, hare ga bai hare ga Civil harega” and from Civil, they put banners “If GOD were to be a human then he would be a Civil Engineer”. It was great; we started to connect the ball well right from the first ball. Varun plays well; he was helping me in the middle. I played aggressively in that match, I came down the track in the 3rd over and hit the ball to six to the longest part of the ground, it was not enough for me I hit fours frequently and hit another six to square leg, our score reached 50 in 5th over and 100 in 9th over, Varun got to his 50 and was out, and I reached to 50. At 58 runs I tried to hit another six and was caught at long on, Joshi and Srikanth sailed our score to 235 runs in 25 overs, match was only for 25 limited overs. Civil collapsed quickly; they were all-out for 153 runs. We won the match, and we were in semi-final and to take on E.E.E.

Those were beautiful days of my life.