Saurav asked to step down
Published by Mysorean on Thursday, September 15, 2005 at 10:30:00 pm.
Sourav... pondering over the future
Sourav Ganguly confirmed on Thursday that he was asked to step down as captain of the Indian cricket team before the first Royal Stag Test match against Zimbabwe here. "It's true, that's all I have to say at this stage," Ganguly told presspersons.
Today's morning newspaper runs this article [You can read the full article by clicking on the "Reference" link at the end] which tells about how Saurav Ganguly has been asked to step down. So, the end of his tenure seems sooner if not later. Here's a tribute to Saurav.
Responsible leader in the hot seat
After Azharuddin's tenure, Ganguly took over. Saurav Ganguly did a good job for India. His style of handling things was much more flamboyant than not only his predecessor but also most of India's past captains [Maybe with the exception of M.L. Jaisimha and M.A.K. Pataudi]. Ganguly was/is not a puppet in the hands of the Board. He used to take responsibility for his decisions, stand by them and be accountable too. A rare quality in an Indian captain.
It is said that being the captain of the Indian cricket team is the hottest seat in the country after the Indian PM! I don't think I even have an idea of the pressure that's on a person in such a hot spot. It's not cricketing acumen that can help you hold on as the captain. A fact proved by Sachin Tendulkar's inability to carry on as the captain. Here is where Saurav Ganguly stood tall and delivered very efficiently. Not statistics wise. Even a player of Rahul Dravid's calibre doesn't look convincing enough on the field as a captain.
With an emotional powerhouse
Saurav was a person who would walk with his emotions on his sleeve. Never known to mince words. Diplomacy was alien to him. He was transparent, frank and forthright without being rude. Of course, whenever there would be a lapse on the field by his players, he would show his displeasure. But then, he would have the whole team rallying around him. Fighting for success.
Saurav instilled a spirit that was missing from Indian cricket all the while. The hunger to win. Whenever I see a Zaheer Khan bowling, Sehwag batting, Yuvaraj fielding or Dhoni keeping I see Saurav's belief in these players. He stood behind them when they were going through a rough patch. The exuberance of an Irfan Pathan or the war cry of Harbhajan Singh, I still see Saurav's reassuring hand behind. The solidarity between Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly is again an example of his exemplary leadership. All three running for the captain's post, but never was there any doubt as to who the leader was!
When Saurav was celebrating bare-chested on the balcony of Lords after the famous Natwest trophy victory, I felt proud. Saurav made people believe in Indian cricket. He erased the match-fixing ghosts that haunted the game. We now had a team playing for us. Not individuals playing for money. It was a treat to watch the Indians run through till the finals in the World Cup. Each of those six matches that they won till the finals was a gem. Every victorious match convinced us, the so-called stakeholders of the game, that we were going to win it this time. But it was bad luck that we had to play arguably the best team of all time in the finals.
An eye on the future
Saurav's leadership is appreciable from the other point of view that "Leaders make leaders of their team members". What better proof do you want than having a dilemma regarding whom to choose for the captain's post after Saurav's tenure?! Rahul Dravid & Sehwag seem to be the most likely contenders. With Kaif being an able lieutenant to them. But if there's a thought of giving a second chance to Sachin, then you have one more contender.