Don't interfere in selection matters, Pawar tells Dalmiya

Sharad Pawar tells Jagmohan Dalmiya to stay away from selection issues © Getty Images

Sharad Pawar, the Indian board president, told Jagmohan Dalmiya that it was "not proper" on his part to interfere in the selection committee's decision to drop Sourav Ganguly from the Indian cricket team for the Ahmedabad Test.

In his reply to Dalmiya's letter, which urged reinstatement of Ganguly, Pawar said "I understand the feelings of Sourav fans, but I am of firm opinion that we should not interfere with the selection process as the selectors are appointed by the General Body and we must repose faith in them." "I am sure Ganguly will fight back into the Indian team by his performance," Pawar said.

"I wish to draw your attention to the fact that when Ganguly was not selected for the one-day internationals against Sri Lanka and South Africa, there was a big debate," Pawar said. "However, my predecessor Ranbir Singh Mahendra did not intervene in the matter of selection as he must have rightly felt that it would set a bad precedent."

Pawar's reference to Mahindra's stance on Ganguly is significant considering the fact that Mahindra was a candidate of the Dalmiya group in the BCCI polls.