Ganguly might play for Board President's XI against New Zealand

Keen to get some runs under his belt before the start of the international season, Sourav Ganguly has apparently requested the Indian board to be included in the Board President's XI, which will take on New Zealand in a warm-up match from September 26-28 at Visakhapatnam. According to a report in The Asian Age, Ganguly has asked for a middle-order berth after a poor start to the season; in the Challenger Series, Ganguly managed scores of 27 and 25, while he made a fourth-ball duck and an unbeaten 28 in the Irani Trophy.

The report quotes SK Nair, secretary of the BCCI, as saying that he could furnish more information only after hearing on the matter from the people concerned. "I have received no instructions from either the chairman (of selectors, Brijesh Patel) or the Board president (Jagmohan Dalmiya). Once I hear from them, I can release it (the news)." Patel is in Bangalore, recovering from a bypass surgery. According to the report, Kiran More, the selector from the West Zone, indicated that he was unaware of this development.

Wisden Comment by S Rajesh
If the report is indeed true, then Ganguly's move to get some more time at the batting crease before the season starts is a wise one. His performances so far this season clearly suggest that he is lacking form; not only did he struggle against pace, he was also far from his usual confident self against spin, being dismissed by Ramesh Powar in the Irani Trophy match. VVS Laxman's sparkling 99 in that game indicates that he is in fluent touch and has sealed a place for the Test team. It makes sense for Laxman to sit out of the warm-up at Visakhapatnam, allowing Ganguly another chance to find form.