New boss sacks Ganguly backers

[aussie1st]

POLITICAL heavyweight Sharad Pawar has wrested control of India's cricket board.

And his first action was to sack all three selectors who supported the return of deposed captain Sourav Ganguly.

Pawar's election ended Jagmohan Dalmiya's stranglehold - which has lasted for more than 25 years - on the country's richest sporting body,.

Ganguly was included in the 15-man India squad for Friday's first Test with Sri Lanka in Chennai on a 3-2 verdict by the selectors following a four-hour meeting last week.

His backers, Pranob Roy, Yashpal Sharma and Gopal Sharma were all removed from the panel after Pawar took control of the board.

They were replaced by Ranjib Biswal, Sanjay Jagdale and Bhupinder Singh, none of whom have played Test cricket.

Former Test wicketkeeper Kiran More was retained as chief selector and V.B. Chandrasekhar also held on to his job. Both had opposed Ganguly's return.

Federal agriculture minister Pawar defeated Dalmiya's incumbent nominee, Ranbir Singh Mahendra, 20-11 in the election for the president of the faction-ridden Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) here.

The election was conducted by India's former chief election commissioner, T.S. Krishnamurthy, on the orders of the Supreme Court after voting was put off in September due to legal wrangles.

It is unclear whether Ganguly, who was replaced as captain by Rahul Dravid, will be picked in the sarting XI at Chennai.
The left hander has scored 5066 runs in 84 Tests with 12 centuries, and taken 25 wickets.

He was dropped from the one-day side due to poor form, an elbow injury and a damaging public spat with coach Greg Chappell, who termed him unfit to lead India in a leaked e-mail to the India board.

Dravid's men thrashed Sri Lanka 6-1 and drew with South Africa 2-2 in two one-day home series this month.

Pawar, 64, won the election on his second attempt after losing out to Mahendra last year. At that time, it was Dalmiya's casting vote that decided the secret ballot which was tied 15-15 with one vote disqualifed.

Pawar, a former chief minister of the western state of Maharashtra, heads the Mumbai Cricket Association.

Politicians have ruled the cash-rich BCCI in the past, but this was the first instance since Dalmiya's induction to the board in 1979 that he or his nominee had lost an election.

Dalmiya, 65, a former president of the International Cricket Council, is a known master of realpolitik whose financial wizardy is largely credited with turning the gentlemen's game into a lucrative global sport.

The BCCI has assets worth around $US250 million ($335 million) and the latest annual report gave its gross earnings for the year 2004-05 as $US46 million ($62 million).

Dalmiya was credited with bringing the World Cup to the Indian sub-continent which has held the event twice - in 1987 and 1996.

"I'm grateful to all those who supported me and my entire team," said Pawar.

"We will concentrate on building basic infrastructure for cricket throughout India. I'm sure our collective efforts will be able to give justice to young, budding players and the cricket loving people of the country."

Dalmiya, when asked if politicians should control sports bodies, retorted: "If you want to involve politicians in cricket affairs, then it is better to put the BCCI under government control.

"But I accept the verdict. My good wishes are with the new team and if they require my support or cooperation in running the affairs of the BCCI, I will always be there."

Reuters

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,17413329-23212,00.html

What do you Indians make of these actions?

 

[siddharth2002]

I would say, Pawar landed the ball on right spot. He may be a crooked politician but also a Mumbaite; can bring some professionalism in BCCI.

 

[Pak_cricketer]

I just don't get it why don't all Indians just support the current team no matter whos in it as long as they are repersenting their team. Like a Aussie would support Australia even if Ricky Ponting was dropped or I would support Pakistan if Sami would've been dropped from the test match, even though he is one of my favorite players.

 

[siddharth2002]

I just don't get it why don't all Indians just support the current team no matter whos in it as long as they are repersenting their team. Like a Aussie would support Australia even if Ricky Ponting was dropped or I would support Pakistan if Sami would've been dropped from the test match, even though he is one of my favorite players.

Now, where in the world are Indians not supporting the current team even if Saurav is dropped!!:what

 

[SaiSrini]

Now, where in the world are Indians not supporting the current team even if Saurav is dropped!!:what

Pak_cricketer is referring to Bengal who are up against the current Indian cricket team esp. Chappell and Dravid just because Chappell had that spat and Dravid has taken over the throne!

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,17413329-23212,00.html

What do you Indians make of these actions?

We dont know if these actions are right or wrong. And I fear we might never know if they were right or wrong. Sharad Pawar has assured of a fair treatment to Saurav Ganguly but since he has been a politician for a long time, we dont know how true his statement will be! This will be seen by many as Pawar's move to remove Ganguly. But Ganguly is being given the chance in the first test in Chennai and if the test is not played fully or if its too much rain interrupted, then he will get another chance in Kanpur! If he succeeds, it will become doubly tough for the selectors to drop him. If he fails for even a single test match, he is doomed, I again say DOOMED! The selectors now just need one opportunity to strike, Ganguly needs to strike again and again!

The ball is now in Ganguly's court - perform or perish!

 

[aussie1st]

Fair call. Given the selectors that picked him have now being sacked its now or never. We will never get back into the side if he gets dropped again. I don't think he would have got in with those 3 selectors there anyway but now it will be impossible.

Lets see what Ganguly can do.

 

[sohum]

I don't see this as too good a move. It is just promoting the mixture of cricket and politics in India. We have still not recovered from the previous blow. I think its high time a non-political administrator (perhaps even an economist :P) take over the BCCI.

 

[bharat]

I feel only former cricketers must be selectors.
Pawar has placed people who were not atall cricketres, as selectors.

Hope they don't crap up the selection process.

 

[sohum]

But they probably will.

 

[aussie1st]

You guys will probably get far worst players than Ganguly getting pick then
I await to see who these non cricket selectors pick.

 

[SaiSrini]

You guys will probably get far worst players than Ganguly getting pick then
I await to see who these non cricket selectors pick.

Its not as if total aliens are picked as selectors! The picked selectors have all played cricket at domestic level with one Bhupinder Singh having played 2 ODI's. You just need to be a good follower of the game, you need to know the budding talents from all the states, you need to be intensely following domestic cricket and you need to have played cricket at some form. And these guys have played cricket at domestic level. Sanjay Jadgale has also been the manager of the Indian cricket team in the recent Sri Lanka tri series (IndianOil Cup!).

When Dalmiya group ruled, we thought Bengal would be favored heavily. It wasnt to be that much. Yes, some players like Deep Das Gupta, Rohan Gavaskar, etc came but they went off as fast as they came! Lets hope for the best and be positive!

 

[zimrahul]

Ganguly should be the next captain of India

 

[sohum]

I don't think the selectors have much picking to do, for the moment. :P