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[kban1]

"One day can change your life... It’s how you approach it’

- A TELEGRAPH SPECIAL SOURAV GANGULY IN AN EMOTIONAL ONE-ON-ONE 

LOKENDRA PRATAP SAHI
 
Come Sunday and Sourav Ganguly will make his second comeback in a shade over a month — this time, in ODIs. Despite a packed schedule in the lead-up to leaving for Nagpur — from completing the Ranji match against Rajasthan to raising funds for a youngster to have a liver transplant and more — the former Team India captain took time off to speak to The Telegraph for almost an hour. To eliminate the possibility of any comment being taken out of context by anybody, Sourav requested there be no questions on coach Greg Chappell, captaincy and the crowd’s behaviour during the India versus South Africa ODI at the Eden 14 months ago.

The following are excerpts:

Q It’s rare for somebody in his 35th year to make a comeback in ODIs after 16 months…

A (Grins) Glenn McGrath, (Darren) Gough and Matthew Hayden aren’t younger, yet all three made comebacks after a long break… Hayden and Gough, for example, were off ODIs for over a year... So, I don’t think you should give weightage to age… McGrath is weeks away from turning 37… Look at form, not age.

What kept you going? After all, you weren’t in the Test team either for ten months… Was it just self-belief?

Had a lot to do with self-belief, yes… I knew I was still good enough to play for India… It’s easy to give up, very easy to hang up one’s boots… I didn’t want to do that… I gave myself a year (from after the Test series in Pakistan)… I wouldn’t have hung around endlessly, but I didn’t want to leave without convincing myself that I’d given my best shot towards a comeback… I wasn’t emotional and accepted that sports is different from fairy tales.

Surely, there must have been occasions when you felt like taking the easy option…

(Pauses) I didn’t give up mentally, but there definitely were times when it dawned that a comeback could become very difficult… The thought that it may not happen at all did crop up, but the next morning I’d wake up thinking differently… Woke up with positive thoughts, thoughts which kept me going…

After the Test series in Pakistan, was there one moment when you wished you were in the India colours and not in a pyjama-kurta at home?

(Very emotionally) When we won the Karachi ODI and took the series 4-1… I felt bad… I felt lonely… It hurt not being at the National Stadium that evening.

One constant from your side was that a “lot of cricket” remained before the World Cup. Frankly, did you take that line to comfort yourself more than convincing others?

But the programme leading up to the World Cup was a reality… Everybody knew it and I also realised a lot of tough cricket would be played (in South Africa, for example)… Having been a part of Indian cricket for a decade, on a regular basis, I knew things could quickly change. I backed myself in domestic cricket, aware that consistent performances wouldn’t go unnoticed.

It couldn’t have been easy motivating yourself for Ranji, Duleep and Deodhar matches…

Doesn’t help thinking about the travelling, accommodation… Playing in front of empty stadiums… The only way to come back is via the domestic cricket-route… It’s plain and simple and I value each of the hundreds I made during the time I was in and out — 117 versus North in the Duleep (Rajkot, 2005-06), 159 against Maharashtra (Pune, 2005-06) and the 118 versus North, again in the Duleep (Guwahati, 2006-07).

Did you draw inspiration from somebody?

Not really… I kept telling myself I shouldn’t get away from the reality of having been dropped… I faced the situation, didn’t run away.

During an interaction in Johannesburg last month, Chappell spoke about how you’d told the team that the last ten months had been a “period of learning” and you’d realised there’s “more to life” than cricket… What made you say that (in Potchefstroom)?

I don’t wish to add to what the coach said… But, yes, cricket isn’t everything in life. For one, there’s the family… One positive of not playing for India for ten months was that I could spend time at home… I could see (daughter) Sana grow up… The family had been with me on some tours, but it’s not the same as time at home. On tours, your mind is on the game… What happened on the day in question, what could happen the next day… Physically, you’re with the family, not mentally.

Chappell was prompt in greeting you with a handshake when you joined Team India as a Test specialist in South Africa… I assume that knocked all the tension for a six?

Well…

Were you apprehensive when you landed in South Africa?

Not apprehensive… I’d got good runs on the last trip there (2003 World Cup) and, so, had confidence. However, I knew I had to perform… That was crystal clear.

Seeing you during the Test series, Barry Richards felt you’d matured more as a batsman…

With time, one does.

At home, this season got underway with the Challenger in Chennai. The attention was on you, but you failed (scores of 24, 3). Did that devastate you?

I was disappointed, but soon realised I’d tried too hard… I’d done everything to prepare myself… I couldn’t have done more… But I did it too hard… Perhaps, I ought to have eased off a little.

It’s not just a coincidence that a change at the top in the selection committee brought about a change in its outlook towards you… What were your thoughts when Dilip Vengsarkar succeeded Kiran More as chairman?

Felt he would understand a cricketer’s mind… He’d himself been a captain, had played with distinction for so many years… He’d gone through everything and I had the belief he would appreciate one had to overcome hurdles to become an international cricketer and, then, to retain one’s place…

Was there anything personal between you and More?

Don’t wish to talk about that period. I hope you understand.

Ironically, one of the selectors (South’s V.B. Chandrasekhar) who’d been a party to your banishment had something rather positive to say hours before his term got over — that you could be India’s Sanath Jayasuriya!

I didn’t pay attention… So many people were saying so many things… What mattered is what I felt about my abilities… How I looked at myself as a cricketer.

Even your fiercest critics have been applauding your mental toughness…

The scrutiny, so to say, was a bit more during the ten months… Fact is I’d already been through a lot in ten years of continuous cricket (at the highest level)… There was plenty of scrutiny in the five-and-half years of my India captaincy… Captaining India is never easy… It’s never going to be… I would go to the extent of saying it’s quite like a slow death… I’ve always been mentally tough and have had the attitude that I must do what I think I need to.

Is there a message for those who see you as an inspiration?

If the going isn’t good, don’t wake up with your head down… Wake up thinking you’ll be successful… You won’t be if you wake up thinking ‘*, I’m going to fail’… Believe me, one day can change your life… It’s how you approach it… Therefore, back yourself and never give up.

Did you learn something in the ten months between Karachi and Johannesburg?

Having played non-stop international cricket for a decade, I’d already learnt a lot. Except that I wasn’t playing for India, nothing changed… Indeed, in that period, my life didn’t change. I’m being frank.

What did you miss the most?

The challenge… The opportunity of continuing to compete against the best… Some feel that cricketers are driven by the urge to make a packet… That they’re focused on bagging rich endorsements… That’s not so… It’s the challenge which drives cricketers, not the money. That, at least, is my assessment… I missed the challenge, regretted the opportunities which went by (for example, 41 ODIs)… The satisfaction any batsman gets from scoring a Test hundred means much more than the lakhs earned from an endorsement. For a pro, there’s no better feeling than knowing he’s good at the job he wants to do.

Given that you had time for yourself, did you watch more of your one-time first love, soccer, on the TV?

Oh, no… If I switched on the TV, it was to watch cricket… Not soccer or tennis or… Cricket isn’t everything, sure, but I can’t stay away from it either.

Did you encourage the pujas and yagnas?

I didn’t… One person engaged in that claimed to be close to the family, but I’d never even met him… Of course, pujas and yagnas are faith-driven… It’s what some believe in… I’m sure they’ve been done for other sportspersons. I couldn’t have been the lone one.

John Wright’s book, Indian Summers, came out during the time you were out in the cold. Some of the references were far from complimentary. Did that upset you? Were you hurt?

Once the book began making headlines, I made it a point to read it… My opinion is that he said the truth from a coach’s perspective… He has been humorous… As an individual, he’s entitled to an opinion and I have to respect it. Contrary to what some may feel, the book didn’t offend me… John and I had differences, but also trusted each other… (Adds laughing) Together, we went through a lot and I haven’t lost any respect… He’s a superb human being.

How would you rate Wright as coach?

Very highly… He did wonders for our team.

Geoffrey Boycott feels Wright should succeed Duncan Fletcher as England’s coach. Your take?

He’ll be a very good choice.

You’ve got god-like status in Bengal. Why is it that people connect so emotionally with you?

(Grins again) I suppose they’re happy that a Bengali is playing some role on the biggest stage… Hopefully, others are going to follow me and they will get the same love and affection. Generally, Bengalis are an emotional lot. Being one myself, I know that.

Your popularity, though, took a beating after that email in the lead-up to the CAB elections last July…

That’s done with… I wouldn’t like to speak about the email (and its consequences)…

Do you regret it?

It’s over…

Back to the ‘now’… How are you looking at the forthcoming ODIs?

Would like the team to do well… Would like to do well myself…

Why have we become inconsistent in ODIs?

It’s a cycle… Keeps happening to teams across the world, with the possible exception of Australia. We’ve got the potential to beat both the West Indies and the Sri Lankans… However, we’ve got to bat well. Having come off a hard tour (South Africa), I think we’re going to do well. Even if the results aren’t good on tough tours, they help if you look beyond the immediate.

The final one: What’s the future you’re looking at?

(Smiles) Right now, my thoughts are on the next match… Nothing more.
 
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070121/asp/sports/story_7290609.asp

[dextrous]

Wow, very surprisingly candid and refreshing interview, though we'll have to wait a few years before the juicy details come out in Saurav's book.

[fineleg]

Once these guys (Lax, SG, RD, SRT) retire...hope all these guys speak abt the many events and incidents that transpired where the fans have been kept in the dark.

[MockTurtle]

Once these guys (Lax, SG, RD, SRT) retire...hope all these guys speak abt the many events and incidents that transpired where the fans have been kept in the dark.

in the dark? you? you seem to know all about the "politics" SG played. can't wait to read your book, whenever you write it. 

oh, also, you don't believe SG now - why would you believe his BOOK? duh!

[CLR James]

I think all the seniors are worried. Whoever among them retires FIRST will have a headstart for his 'tell all' book. The last one to retire will have nothing much to write on his own. He will be busy fending off allegations and clearing the stink others have left behind.  . I hope there is no mass exodus to Vanaprastham after India wins the World Cup.

ps: I think Chappell should switch on his laptop when India is fielding and get started on the sly.

[ramshorns]

I think all the seniors are worried. Whoever among them retires FIRST will have a headstart for his 'tell all' book. The last one to retire will have nothing much to write on his own. He will be busy fending off allegations and clearing the stink others have left behind.  . I hope there is no mass exodus to Vanaprastham after India wins the World Cup.

ps: I think Chappell should switch on his laptop when India is fielding and get started on the sly.

I hope you are Joking about India winning the WC.

[dhruvdeepak]

Once these guys (Lax, SG, RD, SRT) retire...hope all these guys speak abt the many events and incidents that transpired where the fans have been kept in the dark.

in the dark? you? you seem to know all about the "politics" SG played. can't wait to read your book, whenever you write it. 

oh, also, you don't believe SG now - why would you believe his BOOK? duh!

zing! 

[Cover Point]

John Wright’s book, Indian Summers, came out during the time you were out in the cold. Some of the references were far from complimentary. Did that upset you? Were you hurt?

Once the book began making headlines, I made it a point to read it… My opinion is that he said the truth from a coach’s perspective… He has been humorous… As an individual, he’s entitled to an opinion and I have to respect it. Contrary to what some may feel, the book didn’t offend me… John and I had differences, but also trusted each other… (Adds laughing) Together, we went through a lot and I haven’t lost any respect… He’s a superb human being.

Wow. Very impressive. Very mature way to respond to a tough question. Wonder why he did not show the same maturity at all times.

You’ve got god-like status in Bengal. Why is it that people connect so emotionally with you?

(Grins again) I suppose they’re happy that a Bengali is playing some role on the biggest stage… Hopefully, others are going to follow me and they will get the same love and affection. Generally, Bengalis are an emotional lot. Being one myself, I know that.

  explains a lot of fun on this DG.

[LosingNow]

John Wright’s book, Indian Summers, came out during the time you were out in the cold. Some of the references were far from complimentary. Did that upset you? Were you hurt?

Once the book began making headlines, I made it a point to read it… My opinion is that he said the truth from a coach’s perspective… He has been humorous… As an individual, he’s entitled to an opinion and I have to respect it. Contrary to what some may feel, the book didn’t offend me… John and I had differences, but also trusted each other… (Adds laughing) Together, we went through a lot and I haven’t lost any respect… He’s a superb human being.

Wow. Very impressive. Very mature way to respond to a tough question. Wonder why he did not show the same maturity at all times.

You’ve got god-like status in Bengal. Why is it that people connect so emotionally with you?

(Grins again) I suppose they’re happy that a Bengali is playing some role on the biggest stage… Hopefully, others are going to follow me and they will get the same love and affection. Generally, Bengalis are an emotional lot. Being one myself, I know that.

  explains a lot of fun on this DG.

Funny, you caught that too....

Somehow it sounds OK coming from a Bengali 

Also, the Bengalis in this DG are special ..Kban is never emotional!!

[fineleg]

Once these guys (Lax, SG, RD, SRT) retire...hope all these guys speak abt the many events and incidents that transpired where the fans have been kept in the dark.

in the dark? you? you seem to know all about the "politics" SG played. can't wait to read your book, whenever you write it. 

oh, also, you don't believe SG now - why would you believe his BOOK? duh!

zing! 

Eh akka and thambi - chill

[kban1]

John Wright’s book, Indian Summers, came out during the time you were out in the cold. Some of the references were far from complimentary. Did that upset you? Were you hurt?

Once the book began making headlines, I made it a point to read it… My opinion is that he said the truth from a coach’s perspective… He has been humorous… As an individual, he’s entitled to an opinion and I have to respect it. Contrary to what some may feel, the book didn’t offend me… John and I had differences, but also trusted each other… (Adds laughing) Together, we went through a lot and I haven’t lost any respect… He’s a superb human being.

Wow. Very impressive. Very mature way to respond to a tough question. Wonder why he did not show the same maturity at all times.

You’ve got god-like status in Bengal. Why is it that people connect so emotionally with you?

(Grins again) I suppose they’re happy that a Bengali is playing some role on the biggest stage… Hopefully, others are going to follow me and they will get the same love and affection. Generally, Bengalis are an emotional lot. Being one myself, I know that.

  explains a lot of fun on this DG.

Funny, you caught that too....

Somehow it sounds OK coming from a Bengali 

Also, the Bengalis in this DG are special ..Kban is never emotional!!

Whoa!!!

What has Ganguly's assertion about bengali's being emotional have to do with this ? incidentally, I have agreed with that in the past -- by and large, in general, Bengalis tend to be quite emotional about sports.

And I have never asserted that I am not emotional. I have only asserted that my support for  SG has had little to do with him being a Bengali, and is based on some logic rather than passion derived from some sort of ethnic identity. Why that assertion is so difficult to believe or should open one up for subtle sarcasm (even when directed jovially) does not make sense to me.

[MockTurtle]

....and i just read this!   

Ganguly — a Bengali?

Sandipan DebPosted online: Monday, January 22, 2007 at 0000 hrs Print  Email

Sandipan Deb
By the time Sourav Ganguly fell at 98 on Sunday, he had left a nation slack-jawed. Has there ever been a man with greater grit in cricket history? Has there ever been a cricketer with such self-belief, such tenacity, such indomitable spirit? For it is the quality of his mind and the strength of his will that have powered the most remarkable comeback in recent cricketing history. At 34, Ganguly is not getting any younger. And for the sort of player he is — his batting is based on eyesight and reflex rather than the bedrock of textbook technique, like say Rahul Dravid — 34 is quite an age. Add to that the fact that he is not a natural left-hander (he is right-handed in everything but batting), and wasn’t actually setting the field ablaze during his exile. Has there ever been such a cricketer? Certainly not in India.

With a hostile coach waiting gleefully for one failure so he can send him back to the history books, with a majority of Indians wishing he would just go away and not hang around like an embarrassing cousin, with a team unsure of whether to welcome or shun him, this man has sealed his place again in both the test and one-day teams. Can anyone imagine a World Cup team now without Ganguly? If any comeback deserves that lofty adjective, this one does: this comeback is Sisyphean. The gods are on the backfoot.

But the inescapable question that one has to confront — inescapable because Ganguly’s Bengaliness is as much part of his persona as the lofted six over the bowler’s head — is: Is this man really a Bengali?

Lord Macaulay was being the archetypal suspicious and supercilious imperialist when he described the Bengali as “effete, effeminate, vaporous, swooning” and “of feeble constitution”. But what is undeniable is that the Bengalis are not a warlike race. They seem more comfortable in a bookish environment, behind desks, or in the cultural arena. The British Raj was run on a day-to-day basis by thousands of Bengali clerks and petty officials. In fact, Bengalis were officially declared a non-martial race in mid-nineteenth century.

So where did this man spring from? Ever ready for a fight, obstinate and headstrong, glaring down rival captains, shouting the choicest Hindi expletives when a teammate misfields. Never has an Asian captain given it back to the white man as much since that serene streetfighter Arjuna Ranatunga. Never has any Indian cricketer been booed as much and taken the public disapproval with such disdain since the much-underrated Ravi Shastri. As cricket historian Ramachandra Guha pointed out, never since Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi has an Indian skipper been so non-parochial. And this is even more remarkable since historically, cricketers from Bengal — from Shute Banerjee to Ambar Roy, Prakash Poddar to Gopal Bose, Shyam Sundar Ghosh to Subrata Guha — have got a raw deal from Indian selectors. No other state has produced more cricketers who should have played for India and did not, or were discarded unfairly after a few matches.

Ganguly’s hallmark as player and captain has been his near-manic desire to win. Hardly a very noticeable trait in the average Bengali, who is willing to avoid an important business meeting for a leisurely adda. Born into great wealth, brought up by doting parents (what other sort would name their child Maharaj?), cocooned from the inequities of the type of childhood that a Sehwag or a Harbhajan or an Irfan would have had — this man has more hunger for achievement, victory, vindication and vengeance than the entire cast of a prime time soap opera. When hit on the helmet by a rising ball, he has to retaliate with an attacking shot the very next ball, even if it means risking dismissal. And he takes cruel pleasure in the defeat of his opponents. If born in Mahabharatic times, he would have been Bheema, drinking the blood of Duhshashan, not any of the other Pandavas. Yes, in spite of his Bengali physique. No, this man does not have the mind of a Bengali.

Yes, he has the passion that characterises the Bengali. No Indian captain has hugged any player as hard as Ganguly did when he felled Mohammad Kaif in a delirious rush after that great victory over England for the Natwest Trophy. No other skipper has shouted and sworn so much on the field. But Bengali passion has traditionally been unproductive. Thousands of young Bengalis went to the gallows or to the living nightmare called Cellular Jail for terrorist attacks on the British. But their fervour and their sacrifice hardly made a dent in the Raj. And most of the time, they could not even hit their targets. Sometimes, they ended up killing innocent men and women. Thousands again were butchered and thrown into secret mass graves by the police during the Naxalite movement. To what end? A Bengali was the only Indian leader who took on the British army with an army of his own, but it was an enterprise doomed from the very beginning. Bengali passion has been more like what the moth has for the flame, not the sort that builds empires.

This is what makes Ganguly so un-Bengali. He brims with passion, but never losing sight of the bigger picture. After all, the man built a young hungry talented team that could beat anyone on a good day, and almost anyone on any day. This man is the most successful Indian captain ever. And as this glorious comeback shows, one of the most cussed men on earth, irrespective of race. He simply doesn’t know when he is beaten, and thus forces the victorious to be increasingly unsure and finally turn tail.

Who is this man?

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/21470.html

[LosingNow]

What has Ganguly's assertion about bengali's being emotional have to do with this ? incidentally, I have agreed with that in the past -- by and large, in general, Bengalis tend to be quite emotional about sports.

I have a sneaky feeling that if a non-bengali had made the comment "Bengalis are emotional".. the interpretation/reaction would have been less sanguine .. "does it mean, they are not logical".
Frankly, SG is doing disservice to (and maybe stereotyping) Bengalis by calling them emotional (specifically, in this situation, which required a mature handling)..because many Bengalis, I know of(including yourself), actually reacted to the whole SG affair in a more logical and balanced manner.

And I have never asserted that I am not emotional. I have only asserted that my support for  SG has had little to do with him being a Bengali, and is based on some logic rather than passion derived from some sort of ethnic identity. Why that assertion is so difficult to believe or should open one up for subtle sarcasm (even when directed jovially) does not make sense to me.

Sorry man, had that urge to call you a special, logical Bengali (as opposed to the "general ones" that SG is referring to).
Ok, enough busting your chops.. sorryyyyyyy!

[kban1]

Great find Mock!!!

And thats why Ganguly is admired by some -- because he is Indian first and Bengali second - he epitomises a lot of the best that we as a culturally diverse nation embody and are capable of (although we tend, in general, to keep such qualities latent and not realized).

And he lives it day by day, having shed the general Indian tendency to underplay, to be always nice, to offer the other cheek -- in other words, he is the antithesis of the Indian approach which emphasizes the gentleman approach over the ability and the necessity to get into a scrap when the situation calls for.

Now I'll wait with baited breath for the brickbats -- after all, I am a Bengali, and as a person who shares  a common ethnic heritage, it is sacrilege for me to say this in praise of not another Indian, but ah, you guessed it, another Bengali.

For any of my comments to have any bearing, I would have to be of different parentage -- perhaps Punjabi, Tamil, Coorgi, Marwari et all, as long as it is not Bengali.

Which is reflective of a long standing Indian tendency to associate praise or criticism based on the source -- for ages, we have always needed validation from "foreign" sources to justify the efforts and achievements of our fellow Indians. And this is the same situation repeated over and over again -- any support of ganguly needs to be validated by the source being of a different ethnic identity than Ganguly himself, which of course legitimizes the comment because its supposedly free of communal kinship.

Sometimes I wonder what is more damaging -- the support, as is alleged, based on communal kinship or the blanket assumption of the support being biased because it emanates from a person who shares the same communal background ?

I suppose they are two sides of the same coin, reflecting a deep seated tendency of communal distrust that runs through the collective Indian pysche (generally speaking, exceptions noted).

After all, as we have shown by and large, through years of colonial rule and long thereafter, we are (in our mindsets) clans first, and a nation second.

Quite contrary to Indians first, and clans second, as it should be.

But then again, we are like that only  

[LosingNow]

Great find Mock!!!

And thats why Ganguly is admired by some -- because he is Indian first and Bengali second - he epitomises a lot of the best that we as a culturally diverse nation embody and are capable of (although we tend, in general, to keep such qualities latent and not realized).

And he lives it day by day, having shed the general Indian tendency to underplay, to be always nice, to offer the other cheek -- in other words, he is the antithesis of the Indian approach which emphasizes the gentleman approach over the ability and the necessity to get into a scrap when the situation calls for.

Now I'll wait with baited breath for the brickbats -- after all, I am a Bengali, and as a person who shares  a common ethnic heritage, it is sacrilege for me to say this in praise of not another Indian, but ah, you guessed it, another Bengali.

For any of my comments to have any bearing, I would have to be of different parentage -- perhaps Punjabi, Tamil, Coorgi, Marwari et all, as long as it is not Bengali.

Which is reflective of a long standing Indian tendency to associate praise or criticism based on the source -- for ages, we have always needed validation from "foreign" sources to justify the efforts and achievements of our fellow Indians. And this is the same situation repeated over and over again -- any support of ganguly needs to be validated by the source being of a different ethnic identity than Ganguly himself, which of course legitimizes the comment because its supposedly free of communal kinship.

Sometimes I wonder what is more damaging -- the support, as is alleged, based on communal kinship or the blanket assumption of the support being biased because it emanates from a person who shares the same communal background ?

I suppose they are two sides of the same coin, reflecting a deep seated tendency of communal distrust that runs through the collective Indian pysche (generally speaking, exceptions noted).

After all, as we have shown by and large, through years of colonial rule and long thereafter, we are (in our mindsets) clans first, and a nation second.

Quite contrary to Indians first, and clans second, as it should be.

But then again, we are like that only  

Excellent post, Kban. Applause.
--
Now start praising SRT, VS, RD, VVS et al with the same passion and zeal 

[kban1]

LN:

What has Ganguly's assertion about bengali's being emotional have to do with this ? incidentally, I have agreed with that in the past -- by and large, in general, Bengalis tend to be quite emotional about sports.

I have a sneaky feeling that if a non-bengali had made the comment "Bengalis are emotional".. the interpretation/reaction would have been less sanguine .. "does it mean, they are not logical".
Frankly, SG is doing disservice to (and maybe stereotyping) Bengalis by calling them emotional (specifically, in this situation, which required a mature handling)..because many Bengalis, I know of(including yourself), actually reacted to the whole SG affair in a more logical and balanced manner.

And I have never asserted that I am not emotional. I have only asserted that my support for  SG has had little to do with him being a Bengali, and is based on some logic rather than passion derived from some sort of ethnic identity. Why that assertion is so difficult to believe or should open one up for subtle sarcasm (even when directed jovially) does not make sense to me.

Sorry man, had that urge to call you a special, logical Bengali (as opposed to the "general ones" that SG is referring to).
Ok, enough busting your chops.. sorryyyyyyy!

I read your comment and I knew you were taking a dig in jest -- "panga", so to speak. And the emotional Bengali comment from SG, is a touch disappointing to me, not because there isn't some truth to it, but because it leaves open room for wide discrepencies in interpretation, particularly the ones related to blanket stereotyping.

But my point is related to a broader issue --while your comments may be in jest, a lot of similar such comments are not, and I am sure some such will miss the humor in your comment and read it as validation of their long held, and ultimately misguided, divisive, and wrong POVS..

And to be honest, thats why it bugs me (no, not because its necessarily a comment made about me) but because of the general tendency that many of us Indians have to imbue regionalistic hues to issues. I feel that it is counter productive to our efforts at gelling as a nation.

For a country wracked by poverty and illiteracy, where regionalistic passions are a way of life, perhaps due in no small measure, to the two reasons I highlighted in the first part of this sentence, I strongly believe the onus of the effort to minimize differences and find broader common ground rests with us, the educated populace with benefits of exposure.

[cricinfo]

probably some of you have gone thru this thread in cricketwatchdog...good read ....


Why Ganguly is such an icon in Bengal ?

Often, I have read in various forums the mention of "fanatic supporters of Ganguly" and a reference to their state of origin, Bengal. I take the liberty of precisely quoting someone "I am concerned about how healthy is the fanatical support base of him is, for Indian cricket. Selectors and administrators, should be able to freely discharge there duties, without fear of political interference and intimidation". All these words came out in response to a comment in a Bengali daily by Mr Gopal Bose, referred to without any respect as, "a retired 1st Class cricketer from Bengal". The quotation in question (as translated) is as follows: "10 deers, arrayed behind a tiger, can be transformed into tigers"

Whenever I read the posts like these, it seems to me that any non-Indian reading the same post may feel that the fans of Ganguly are undermining the vary health of Indian Cricket for their support of a cricketer of no calibre. It also seems to me by reading these posts that the "retired 1st Class cricketer from Bengal" is not qualified enough to make any such comments. Side-tracking the discussion on Ganguly’s calibre, let me dig deep into the cricket scene in Bengal and find out what these "retired 1st Class cricketer”s “from Bengal" are.

Have any of these so-called pundits ever looked into the cricket world of Bengal? Do they know a story of neglect and disrespect from 1940s? Do they know of a bowler called Shute Banerjje ? In the long list of unlucky cricketers originating from Bengal, Shute Banerjee would probably find pride of place. He toured England in 1936 and 1946 without playing a Test. He played an unofficial `Test' as early as 1935 against Jack Ryder's Australian team, was good enough to play in three `Tests' against Lord Tennyson's team two years later, and also played one `Test' against the Australian Services team in 1945. But his full Test career was limited to just one appearance, by which time he was 35. His name however is immortalised by his batting heroics in a first class match at the Oval in 1946. He and Chandu Sarwate added 249 runs in 190 minutes for the last wicket for the Indian tourists against Surrey. Sarwate made 124 not out, Banerjee, going in last, scored 121 and it is still the only time in first-class cricket that Nos. 10 and 11 have scored centuries. That was a day when Bedser couldn't knock over two tailenders

Fast forward to my time - I started following cricket from circa 1973-74. Bengal has been a good cricketing state since early 1970s. I can name Gopal Bose, Raja and Raju Mukherjee (one of them writes for Calcutta Telegraph), Barun Burman, Subroto Porel, and Dilip Doshi as players who should have a chance to play for India.

Every one of them was capable of playing for India - and they were an exceptional - but typically laid back side. Gopal Bose played unofficial tests against Ceylone (Sri Lanka) and scored century. Doshi played for India with distinction, Subroto Porel was arguably best medium pacer at that time - and on his days Barun Barman could bowl real fast. Gopal Bose is another of the prime example of injustice shown to the Bengal Cricketers from the very beginning. In 1970s when ParthaSarathi Sharmas and Solkars were given chance after chance to partner Gavaskar - this opener was overlooked again and again. My question is WHY ?

Some may point out that Bengal never were the champions in those days. True, in those days - Bengal used to play in the regional league only and never made much impact in the second (knock out) stage – primarily because of "first innings lead" rule and their "happy go lucky" spirit. I however want to ask - does championship matter? If these players were talented - and I ascertain they were - why they were not given a chance?

Anyway - after them there was a temporary void - that improved with players from outside the state migrating to Bengal - specifically ArunLal and Ashok Malhotra. Sambaran Banerjee was an able leader (why he was overlooked and Bharat Reddy was taken to England ?) and Utpal Chatterjee(another spinner, overlooked again and again, preference given to Venkatapathy "Muscles" Raju) with some local good players (but not exceptional) like IB Roy, lead to good performance. Snehasish Ganguly, Sourav Ganguly, Devang *hi , Lr Shukla continued the tradition. Newer players are emerging.

The present team is the runners-up in last year's Ranji Trophy. Can someone tell me how many players from Bengal are in the Indian A team ? (Yes - I am not talking about the Indian team)

One or Two?

The tradition of neglect still continues.



Think of this background - think carefully of this background and tradition of consistently being neglected despite producing talented cricketers for more than 50 yrs & still being neglected - and then try to understand why that region of India is so passionate about Ganguly, why Ganguly is such an icon in Bengal. If you understand that, then try to criticise those fans, who see their iconic Indian Captain fall from grace and publicly humiliated by people of lesser credentials and react, at times violently. If you understand the pain and frustrations of generations of talented but neglected cricketers, then try to criticise those "retired 1st Class cricketer from Bengal" who see the fulfilment of their dreams through Ganguly. I see no wrong in the iconic status of Ganguly - as many of these pundits want us to believe. Ganguly for Bengal represents the answer to the long injustice - starting from Shute Banerjee in 1940s.

Without trying to understand this background, no one has any right to criticise the so called "fanatic fans". Neither they have any right to ignore and belittle these respected former cricketers.

Above all, if India's obsession with Sachin is not harmful and has not gone too far, Bengal's obsession with Ganguly has not gone far either.

http://indianwatchdogs.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=9344

[MockTurtle]

Great find Mock!!!

And thats why Ganguly is admired by some -- because he is Indian first and Bengali second - he epitomises a lot of the best that we as a culturally diverse nation embody and are capable of (although we tend, in general, to keep such qualities latent and not realized).

And he lives it day by day, having shed the general Indian tendency to underplay, to be always nice, to offer the other cheek -- in other words, he is the antithesis of the Indian approach which emphasizes the gentleman approach over the ability and the necessity to get into a scrap when the situation calls for.

Now I'll wait with baited breath for the brickbats -- after all, I am a Bengali, and as a person who shares  a common ethnic heritage, it is sacrilege for me to say this in praise of not another Indian, but ah, you guessed it, another Bengali.

For any of my comments to have any bearing, I would have to be of different parentage -- perhaps Punjabi, Tamil, Coorgi, Marwari et all, as long as it is not Bengali.

Which is reflective of a long standing Indian tendency to associate praise or criticism based on the source -- for ages, we have always needed validation from "foreign" sources to justify the efforts and achievements of our fellow Indians. And this is the same situation repeated over and over again -- any support of ganguly needs to be validated by the source being of a different ethnic identity than Ganguly himself, which of course legitimizes the comment because its supposedly free of communal kinship.

Sometimes I wonder what is more damaging -- the support, as is alleged, based on communal kinship or the blanket assumption of the support being biased because it emanates from a person who shares the same communal background ?

I suppose they are two sides of the same coin, reflecting a deep seated tendency of communal distrust that runs through the collective Indian pysche (generally speaking, exceptions noted).

After all, as we have shown by and large, through years of colonial rule and long thereafter, we are (in our mindsets) clans first, and a nation second.

Quite contrary to Indians first, and clans second, as it should be.

But then again, we are like that only  

Excellent post, Kban. Applause.
--
Now start praising SRT, VS, RD, VVS et al with the same passion and zeal 

LN, have you also seen any OTHER bengali cricket player being defended with the same passion by these "parochial" bengalis? why is it very hard to see that SG is different, as a cricketer, as a person, as an indian and his being bengali is just incidental? and no one else, a bengali or a kashmiri has been treated the way he has been in the last one year. maybe, that has something to do with the passion?

i am not a bengali, have ever stepped into bengal but i support SG and do not care to talk in the same vein about VVS, RD or even SRT. go figure! why should a bengali not have that privilege without being branded parochial?

[Cernunnos]

....and i just read this!   

Ganguly — a Bengali?

Sandipan DebPosted online: Monday, January 22, 2007 at 0000 hrs Print  Email

Sandipan Deb
By the time Sourav Ganguly fell at 98 on Sunday, he had left a nation slack-jawed. Has there ever been a man with greater grit in cricket history? Has there ever been a cricketer with such self-belief, such tenacity, such indomitable spirit? For it is the quality of his mind and the strength of his will that have powered the most remarkable comeback in recent cricketing history. At 34, Ganguly is not getting any younger. And for the sort of player he is — his batting is based on eyesight and reflex rather than the bedrock of textbook technique, like say Rahul Dravid — 34 is quite an age. Add to that the fact that he is not a natural left-hander (he is right-handed in everything but batting), and wasn’t actually setting the field ablaze during his exile. Has there ever been such a cricketer? Certainly not in India.

With a hostile coach waiting gleefully for one failure so he can send him back to the history books, with a majority of Indians wishing he would just go away and not hang around like an embarrassing cousin, with a team unsure of whether to welcome or shun him, this man has sealed his place again in both the test and one-day teams. Can anyone imagine a World Cup team now without Ganguly? If any comeback deserves that lofty adjective, this one does: this comeback is Sisyphean. The gods are on the backfoot.

But the inescapable question that one has to confront — inescapable because Ganguly’s Bengaliness is as much part of his persona as the lofted six over the bowler’s head — is: Is this man really a Bengali?

Lord Macaulay was being the archetypal suspicious and supercilious imperialist when he described the Bengali as “effete, effeminate, vaporous, swooning” and “of feeble constitution”. But what is undeniable is that the Bengalis are not a warlike race. They seem more comfortable in a bookish environment, behind desks, or in the cultural arena. The British Raj was run on a day-to-day basis by thousands of Bengali clerks and petty officials. In fact, Bengalis were officially declared a non-martial race in mid-nineteenth century.

So where did this man spring from? Ever ready for a fight, obstinate and headstrong, glaring down rival captains, shouting the choicest Hindi expletives when a teammate misfields. Never has an Asian captain given it back to the white man as much since that serene streetfighter Arjuna Ranatunga. Never has any Indian cricketer been booed as much and taken the public disapproval with such disdain since the much-underrated Ravi Shastri. As cricket historian Ramachandra Guha pointed out, never since Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi has an Indian skipper been so non-parochial. And this is even more remarkable since historically, cricketers from Bengal — from Shute Banerjee to Ambar Roy, Prakash Poddar to Gopal Bose, Shyam Sundar Ghosh to Subrata Guha — have got a raw deal from Indian selectors. No other state has produced more cricketers who should have played for India and did not, or were discarded unfairly after a few matches.

Ganguly’s hallmark as player and captain has been his near-manic desire to win. Hardly a very noticeable trait in the average Bengali, who is willing to avoid an important business meeting for a leisurely adda. Born into great wealth, brought up by doting parents (what other sort would name their child Maharaj?), cocooned from the inequities of the type of childhood that a Sehwag or a Harbhajan or an Irfan would have had — this man has more hunger for achievement, victory, vindication and vengeance than the entire cast of a prime time soap opera. When hit on the helmet by a rising ball, he has to retaliate with an attacking shot the very next ball, even if it means risking dismissal. And he takes cruel pleasure in the defeat of his opponents. If born in Mahabharatic times, he would have been Bheema, drinking the blood of Duhshashan, not any of the other Pandavas. Yes, in spite of his Bengali physique. No, this man does not have the mind of a Bengali.

Yes, he has the passion that characterises the Bengali. No Indian captain has hugged any player as hard as Ganguly did when he felled Mohammad Kaif in a delirious rush after that great victory over England for the Natwest Trophy. No other skipper has shouted and sworn so much on the field. But Bengali passion has traditionally been unproductive. Thousands of young Bengalis went to the gallows or to the living nightmare called Cellular Jail for terrorist attacks on the British. But their fervour and their sacrifice hardly made a dent in the Raj. And most of the time, they could not even hit their targets. Sometimes, they ended up killing innocent men and women. Thousands again were butchered and thrown into secret mass graves by the police during the Naxalite movement. To what end? A Bengali was the only Indian leader who took on the British army with an army of his own, but it was an enterprise doomed from the very beginning. Bengali passion has been more like what the moth has for the flame, not the sort that builds empires.

This is what makes Ganguly so un-Bengali. He brims with passion, but never losing sight of the bigger picture. After all, the man built a young hungry talented team that could beat anyone on a good day, and almost anyone on any day. This man is the most successful Indian captain ever. And as this glorious comeback shows, one of the most cussed men on earth, irrespective of race. He simply doesn’t know when he is beaten, and thus forces the victorious to be increasingly unsure and finally turn tail.

Who is this man?

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/21470.html

The question really is, who is this doofus Sandipan Deb? One of the most pea-brained articles
I've read recently. He would fit well with the Cricinfo team.

[CLR James]

Sandipan Deb, if my information is correct, is one of the head honchos of 'Outlook'. He is considered to be a pretty good journalist really. That of course, does not mean that he is a good cricket writer.

[dave_dj]

The question really is, who is this doofus Sandipan Deb? One of the most pea-brained articles
I've read recently. He would fit well with the Cricinfo team.

He is a senior from my college and has a bachelor's degree in electronics and telecommunication.    He used to be editor of Outlook at some point.  I don't know if he still is.