Kiran More... Indian Cricket Selection Committee Chairman

Sourav Ganguly

Okay, things have been pretty bad with Sourav Ganguly for the past few months, right since a Mr Greg Chappell had been introduced to the team. Okay, I haven't got anything against the Aussie. But is it utter coincidence that the moment he's here, our captain gets replaced, Ganguly gets axed and Yuvraj is referred as a better alrounder than Ganguly? Sourav had been picked up in the national team, axed & picked up again n again. If Mr. More thinks Ganguly isn't worth the salt, then why the hell is he even considering Ganguly for the team, ever?

Kiran More and his Selection Panel
More's been Serving googlies for quite some time now. Here's what the selection committee Chairman had to say each time former skipper Sourav Ganguly was axed and picked by his five-member panel :

MOHALI, OCTOBER 14

Sourav has performed outstandingly for the country and captained also very well, but definitely things are not in his favour. He hasn't done very well. We're looking at some of the youngsters doing very well. We want to give them at least about 30 games before the World Cup.

- After Ganguly had been dropped from the ODI squad

CHENNAI, NOVEMBER 21

Okay, he got a hundred against Zimbabwe, but he hasn't performed that well in the last two or three years and we're not happy with that.





- On the eve of the selection meeting, hinting at the end.

CHENNAI, NOVEMBER 22

There was a suggestion to take him as an all-rounder. We discussed the matter for a long time and finally we decided to have him as a batting all rounder.

- After picking Ganguly for the first Srilanka Test

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 14

To have Sourav in the squad and then put him in the reserves is not done. We are basically keeping the future in mind.


- After dropping Ganguly for the Ahmedabad Test

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 14

We are looking at the future. We felt we have a player who has been playing better. He has shown the potential and we want to give him more opportunities for Pakistan and England.



- On why Yuvraj Singh is good for Indian cricket.

MUMBAI, DECEMBER 24

Sourav has experience and runs behind him. If you see the recent records and statistics, he hasn't done well but we needed his experience on this tour. We wanted to give younsters a chance on the Sri Lanka tour.


- On why Sourav's "good" for Indian cricket

MUMBAI, DECEMBER 25

I am not saying he will play in the XI. That wll be selected by the team management and one selector who will accompany the team on the tour. The best XI will play.

- After picking him for the three tests against Pakistan.


Well...just notice his two statements given on December 14th and on December 25th. Don't you think there's a hint of hypocrisy in them? First Mr. More says that it certainly doesn't make sense, to take Ganguly in the team and then keep him in the reserves. And then again, he says that despite Ganguly being in the team, there's no guarantee that he'll actually paly any match out there. Desn't now he think that Ganguly will be wasted keeping in the reserves? And well, if he really wants Sourav for his experience, why doesn't More just invite him as a guest advisor? I'm sure that should do enough justice to More's purposes.

Something else that gets me thinking is that when was the last time a selector travelled with the team during the tours? I won't be surprised if that selector turns out to be Mr More himself. I just don't realise how this man got to become the Chairman? What exactly are his qualities? How much cricket did he himself play? How many of today's youngsters actually know his name? How many of us can actually say without any guesses if he was a bowler or a batsman...or mebbe a wicketkeeper? And here is this man, judging on one of the greatest captains India has ever seen. Kudos to you, mister...and kudos to the ones who selected you as the Chairman!

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1 Thoughts:

drsundeep

Friday, December 30, 2005 8:58:00 PM

Mohinder Amrnath had famoiusly quipped once that "Selectors are a bunch of jokers" and Kiran More's just proved it! While I am not a big fan od Dada, yet the manner in which his entire affair has been (mis)handled by the BCCI is really tragic considring Dada's contribution to Indian cricket. If Chappell and selectors felt that Ganguly's time has come they should have broken it gently to him and given him the option to retire honourably. There's nothing wrong in telling a person that he's getting old and is holding up the place of deserving youngsters. Its being done in Aussie land too with the sacking of Darren Lehman and Micheal Bevan at the heights of their prowess just bcoz they happen to be on the wrong side of 30. Chappell's been given a specific task of preparing a team for the 2007 WC in windies by which time Dada will be well past his prime. I personally feel that Dada himself should retire after the Pak series whether he's played in final XI or not. It will be a travesty of justice if Dada himself is instrumental in keepin players like Kaif out of the team which he so painstakingly built from scratch.