Ganguly's selection saga

The new selection committee's decision to retain Sourav Ganguly for first two Tests against Australia, despite his omission from the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup, has evoked varied responses.

An editorial comment in the Deccan Herald suggests the BCCI’s new selection committee, wary of ruffling feathers early into its term, may have toed the old line by retaining Ganguly. However, acknowledging the value experienced players like Ganguly add to the Indian squad, it favours a gradual 'phasing-out' of the old guard, as the team could not risk losing such a solid middle order in one go.

Over the next few months, the decision to blood younger batsmen must be implemented. It has to be a gradual process, for the less experienced ones will need the comforting presence of long-standing bulwarks to break themselves in at the Test match level. It will be in the best interests of Indian cricket if the seniors are taken into confidence and thanked for their contributions while politely being told of the need to start the rebuilding process so that Indian cricket doesn’t flounder when these men of substance call it quits of their own volition.

R.Mohan, in the Asian Age, agrees that Kris Srikkanth, the new chairman of selectors, must take players into confidence before making the tough calls.

S. Dinakar, writing in the Hindu, feels Ganguly’s inclusion is justified. Ganguly’s experience, his performance against Australia earlier this year and his impressive record since his comeback against South Africa at the Wanderers in 2006-07, he writes, merit him a place in the side.

Meanwhile, in the Times of India, Bobilli Vijay Kumar writes the new selection panel appears no different from its predecessors, and that its decisions are consistent with earlier trends.

As it turned out, the panel proved as adept and slick as all the earlier ones. Instead of picking XIV, it cleverly added a XVth member. Smooth. As the big list sunk in, however, the rumours were up and running again.

Daily News and Analysis’ Ayaz Memon rubbishes rumours of any ‘deal’ between the BCCI’s selection committee and Sourav Ganguly, but feels Ganguly’s inclusion is as explainable as it is confusing.

For an opinion that questions the selection committee’s “sudden about-turn” after Ganguly was excluded from matches in the run-up to this series, read Jayaditya Gupta’s article on Cricinfo.