Ganguly: The end is nigh?

That is the question on everyone’s mind after the selectors announced the Indian team for the tri series in Sri Lanka. Rahul Dravid is the captain and Sourav Ganguly is the 16^th man.

Is there a problem?

The date for the selection of the Indian team was set as July 18^th, and 2 days later, July 20^th, the deadline was to expire for the BCCI and ICC to file their papers for arbitration by Justice Albie Sachs, who will issue the final and binding decision on Sourav Ganguly’s six match ban. The rival parties, i.e. BCCI and ICC have till July 22^nd to reply to the stand taken by each other. This implies that the final decision may not be announced until a couple of days after July 22^nd or even later. Justice Sachs has not set a date for his verdict, which is sensible because how can he decide the date for the verdict before he sees the papers? The Indian team leaves for Sri Lanka on July 23^rd, and India’s first match is on July 30^th.

What do all these dates mean? It means that there was no way that Ganguly could have been appointed as India captain, because there is no certainty that he can even goto Sri Lanka. Nobody wants ambiguity at the top, and the selectors made the right decision in appointing Dravid as Captain for the tri-series. People have criticized Ganguly for not accepting the punishment and face his lot like the other captains, Inzamam-ul Haq and Grame Smith who received similar punishment and took it on the chin. But why should he? Why shouldn’t he fight tooth and nail, it is his right to do so. Wouldn’t you appeal?

Greg Chappell made a telling observation, there are not many people who have the qualities to be a leader. Sourav Ganguly in many ways has been India’s best captain, so let us not brush him aside. The selectors wisely appointed him as the provisional 16^th man. Ganguly is a fighter, and it would be foolish to write his eulogies, but, if India goes on to win the Lanka tri-series under Rahul Dravid, it will mark the beginning of the end of an era and will be Another Brick in the Wall!