Ganguly has accepted his omission

Kolkata: Breaking his silence over his omission from India’s ODI team, Sourav Ganguly on Monday said that it was “disappointing” because his one-day record is next best after Sachin Tendulkar, but he had “accepted” the selectors’ decision.

A reticent former Indian captain was unwilling to be drawn into any discussion on his being ignored but even then his hurt shows.

“I am disappointed just like any other cricketer in not being a part of the one-day side as I had a great year last year and my one-day record is probably the next best after Sachin. It is disappointing but then I have accepted it,” he told PTI in an interview.

Ganguly refused to answer questions about reports that he and Rahul Dravid were left out of the ODI team on the insistence of skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. “I do not want to talk about it,” he said.

On whether experience should be sacrificed for youth and whether India was going in the right direction in preparing for the 2011 World Cup: “I know my answer, but I keep it with myself. I must say that 2011 World Cup is still a long way away. But I have a lot of faith in (Chief Selector) Dilip Vengsarkar, he is somebody whom I respect quite a lot and I am sure good things will happen under him.”

He said it was hard to predict how many more years the seniors would play. “It is difficult to say how many more years we all will play. It depends on performance, because that’s what matters in cricket.”

Ganguly expressed satisfaction with the appointment of Gary Kirsten as the coach and said he wanted to put the Greg Chappell episode behind him.

“The team has got Gary Kirsten as the coach. He was with us in Australia during the last two Test matches and we look forward to exciting times ahead with him. Regarding the Greg Chappell episode, I do not want to talk about it.”

Ganguly also said praised Anil Kumble’s captaincy. “I think he has done fantastically well as the captain. His strength is his man management skills and the tremendous confidence he has in his players.”

He said he had not spoken to Shah Rukh Khan, who has backed the former Indian skipper to captain Kolkata team in the Indian Premier League: “I have not spoken to Shah Rukh Khan yet. Let me speak to him and then we will see where it goes.”

About the recent acrimony between Indian and Australian players: “I really do not want to talk about it much because a lot of things have been spoken and done. It’s good that they have all gone back to cricket because that’s what matters at the end of the day.”

Whether unruly behaviour by players can be checked by tough umpires: “I think the umpires are tough in the field now-a-days. But sometimes certain things happen at the heat of the moment and the best thing is to sort it out amicably.”

Use of technology in umpiring: “I think there should be a balance of technology in the umpires’ role. But we must realise that we all make mistakes and mistakes will happen always. As a cricketer, I feel that if the field umpires get a bit of help in the matter of the front foot no ball from the technology as they have in tennis, then they can concentrate and look only towards the batsman and that can reduce mistakes, because things happen fast in the cricket field.” — PTI