Selectors upset with Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly's plumping for Yuvraj Singh has really surprised and even angered the selectors. In fact, a couple of them are even contemplating coming down severely on him when the five man committee meets again in Mumbai on August 2 to pick the team for the Test series against Sri Lanka. And for once, Ganguly will not have the ball rolling his way. The selectors have been antagonized to such an extent that they have decided not to pay any heed to the suggestions that Ganguly may give on August 2 over the phone.

One selector made it clear over the phone on Friday that they were not happy with the Indian captain. "We have every reason to feel let down. We selected Amay Khurasia in the side because Ganguly wanted him to. But he opens the batting with Yuvraj Singh. It just shows that he is not ready to function with what we have planned."

Such is the gravity of the situation that it is learnt a couple of selectors have raised the matter with Jaywant Lele, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. It is not clear as to what steps the selectors will take against Ganguly. However, the announcement of retaining him as captain till the tour of South Africa has already been shelved. The selectors will only declare him as captain on a tour to tour basis. They feel that it is the only way to keep a check on the Indian captain.

The selectors are also unhappy at the way Ganguly dropped Hemang Badani to accommodate Yuvraj in the side. The decision to send in Virendra Shewag as an opener in the third match has also not gone down well with the selectors. "He is destroying the balance of the team," complained another selector over the phone on Friday. They are also of the opinion that he should have acted with restraint in the third match on Thursday. Ganguly showed dissent towards the umpire after being declared leg before leading to his one match suspension. This incidentally is the third time that Ganguly has been suspended. The first time was in Kochi against the Australians in the Titan Cup tournament in 1998. The second was against Zimbabwe last year.