Ganguly's comeback could put him under undue pressure

Moin Khan, former Pakistan captain, said the controversy surrounding Sourav Ganguly's comeback could put him under undue pressure against Pakistan who are better prepared to take on India this time around.

Moin said Pakistan were a "more mature and united" unit now under Inzamam-ul Haq and the win against England had boosted their confidence for the upcoming three-Test series against the arch-rivals. In such a scenario, he said, it was imperative for the Indian cricketers to stay focussed on the game rather than bother about off-field controversies.

"This is obviously not the right beginning of what is certainly a big tour for the Indian cricket team. On such a huge tour, the players want to be relaxed and like to be in the comfortable zone so that they can concentrate and stay focused rather being left pondering if they had been included in the side through the back door," said the 34-year-old veteran of 69 Tests.

"This is certainly not good for Sourav and the Indian cricket team. Sourav is an experienced campaigner and deserves respect. By questioning his inclusion, the critics are putting him under pressure for which the team might have to pay the price because if Sourav is in the team, he has to be in the playing lineup than being on the substitute bench," he said.

Ganguly made the headlines on his recall for the Pakistan tour after being controversially left out of the Ahmedabad Test against Sri Lanka.