Pawar and Ganguly have an amiable meeting

Sharad Pawar, the Indian board president, has told Sourav Ganguly that he respected him as a "champion cricketer" who has done a lot for Indian cricket, when the two met in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Rajiv Shukla, the BCCI spokesperson, said that Pawar and Ganguly discussed the state of Indian cricket and how best the team can prepare for the tour of Pakistan in January 2006. Pawar said, in a report in htcricket.com, that he was helpless in selection matters but told Ganguly that no further injustice, perceived or otherwise, would be done to him.

Sourav Ganguly's innings of 40 and 39 in the second Test against Sri Lanka at Delhi were not enough for him to retain his place in the Indian team for the third Test. The selectors, with one eye on the future and the other on addressing concerns over an opening slot, had picked Wasim Jaffer in the squad for the third Test against Sri Lanka.

After the defeat of the Jagmohan Dalmiya camp - believed to have solidly stood behind Ganguly on all occasions - in the recent board elections the latest selectorial decision was widely seen as vindictive on the part of the new incumbents.

However, Pawar, who categorically claimed that he was not party to the decision, had said, "As a cricket lover, I am hurt and shocked over the exclusion of Ganguly. In the Delhi Test his performance was satisfactory. Also, he was a victorious captain and we feel proud of him".