'Slots are up for grabs': Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly has sent out a pre-season warning to the Indian team, saying that none of the players could afford to take their places for granted. In an exclusive interview to the Press Trust of India (PTI), Ganguly said: "Slots are up for grabs. No one can take his place for granted. Whoever does well is open for selection."

Speaking about the wicketkeeper's slot, Ganguly hinted that while Parthiv Patel was the frontrunner, he needed to work on his batting. "Parthiv has done well. He has got very good hands behind the wicket. We want him to contribute a little bit more with the bat. He knows that and is working hard. I am sure he will."

However, he was more cagey on the issue of India's wicketkeeper for the ODIs. Rahul Dravid had earlier indicated that he would prefer to play as a specialist batsman, but Ganguly only said: "We have to wait and see. It is a decision to be taken by the selectors and the team management."

Asked about New Zealand's unconventional methods of preparation for the tour - their players have been practising on dirty pitches using noisy headphones to replicate Indian conditions - Ganguly said: "Well, I don't know what kind of preparations they are undergoing. It's up to them how hard they work and how quickly they adjust to the conditions here. We will have to wait and see."

Ganguly did not believe that Shane Bond's absence would significantly affect the outcome of the series. "There is no doubt that he is a quality bowler. Obviously, New Zealand will miss him. But we have beaten them with Shane Bond in their ranks. So it does not really affect our chances."

He refused to call the forthcoming tour to Australia his biggest challenge, preferring instead to reflect on India's remarkable run in the 2003 World Cup. "Every tour is a challenge. But obviously the World Cup is the biggest tournament in cricket. It was a huge challenge for me. We did outstandingly well but we were disappointed. We played so well but lost in the final. I would take the positives out if it - we were the second best side in the world - and go ahead with it."

The topic of his recent visit to Australia cropped up too, as did his meeting with Greg Chappell. Ganguly admitted that he did meet Chappell, but did not divulge details. I spent a couple of hours with him at Sydney. I kept asking him about mindset and mindgames. When you meet a great player you always talk about the game and you keep on learning, like when you meet any other great cricketer."