Javagal Srinath, a former India cricketer, has stated that he would have suspended Sourav Ganguly for several matches if he had been the match referee during the 2001 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Srinath’s comments refer to an incident at Eden Gardens where Ganguly reportedly made Steve Waugh, the Australian captain, wait for the toss.
The delay was widely seen as an act of gamesmanship that unsettled Waugh and the Australian team during the series, which India ultimately won 2-1. Ganguly later attributed his tardiness to being unable to find his blazer, though this explanation has been debated.
Ganguly’s Leadership and Team Transformation
Despite his strong views on the toss incident, Srinath also commended Ganguly’s leadership during his captaincy. He specifically highlighted Ganguly’s role in nurturing young talent who would later become crucial players for India. Among those mentioned were Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, and Virender Sehwag, all of whom went on to achieve significant success in Indian cricket.
Srinath observed that Indian cricket underwent a major transformation following the match-fixing controversies of the late 1990s. He noted that players developed a collective resolve to restore the game’s image and prove its integrity to the world. According to Srinath, there was a strong determination among the players to demonstrate that cricket was clean and superior.
This renewed sense of purpose, coupled with strong leadership from the top four or five players, helped India achieve consistent victories at home and improve their performance in overseas matches. Srinath recalled that India had struggled to win abroad between 1991 and 1997-98, but this trend began to change from 1999 onwards.
Reflections on Key Moments and Player Development
Srinath also shared his thoughts on the 2003 World Cup final against Australia. He revealed that he had advocated for India to bat first in that match, believing it would put pressure on the opposition. However, Ganguly held a different view, and once the decision was made, Srinath acknowledged that the team had to move forward, despite Australia proving to be too strong on the day.
His commitment to developing new talent was evident in his recommendation of Zaheer Khan to selector Chandu Borde. Srinath had observed the left-arm pacer take six wickets against Air India while representing the MRF Pace Foundation. When Borde jokingly questioned what would happen to Srinath if Zaheer was selected, Srinath’s response was direct: “If he’s good, he replaces me.”
Beyond the field, Srinath offered a light-hearted anecdote about former India batter Rahul Dravid, humorously describing him as “not the best roommate” due to his habit of scattering belongings. In contrast, he described Venkatesh Prasad as extremely “spick and span.”
Srinath also cautioned against comparing emerging talents like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to cricketing legends such as Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. He emphasized that different eras present different challenges and that judging a player should encompass both white-ball and red-ball cricket. He described Sooryavanshi as a “wonderful talent” who is still young, expressing hope that he develops the maturity of Sachin and the strong mindset of Virat.
Furthermore, Srinath called for a better balance between bat and ball in the sport. He pointed to factors such as shorter boundaries, larger bats, and less pronounced seams as contributing to an imbalance. He stated that “Something needs to be done to bring some balance into this game.”
Source: sports.yahoo.com
