While there were no celebrations at home this time round on account of the demise of his father, Sourav Ganguly’s birthday was cause for celebration not only in Bengal but also among Indian cricket fans all over the world. As one of India’s best ever captains turned 41, he spoke on a host of issues in this candid conversation with Boria Majumdar. Excerpts.Boria- You have left international cricket for four years now. Yet when you stepped on the field in Birmingham to do your commentary stint on the day of the Champions Trophy final the crowd reacted to you like you are still playing. Clearly you continue to be their hero. What explains this longevity? Sourav – You can say I am blessed.This is clearly god’s gift. The kind of affection I continue to receive is often overwhelming. People still treat me the same way like they did when I was captain of India and I am deeply touched by these gestures. More so in England because I have some fantastic memories associated with England as a cricketer. My debut hundred at Lord’s, winning the Headingly Test match as captain in 2002 and winning the Natwest Trophy soon after constitute some of my best memories as a player. I am sure people remember these moments and you must also add the fact that in the recently concluded Champions Trophy the Indians played outstanding cricket, which made sure that the fans were in high spirits. All of these things explain the reaction you are talking about. Boria- While on the one hand you are a global icon on the other you are still very ‘Bengali’ and very ‘Kolkata’ if you know what I mean. There is a real deep bond between you and Bengaliness. How do you look at this? Sourav- Kolkata is home. And I must tell you that there is no other city in the world which I consider home. I always feel the greatest satisfaction when I come back to my city. It just gives me a sense of ease and comfort. Yes all of us want Kolkata to be the best city in the world and all of us are aware of its shortcomings but at the same time all of us will agree that there is no city like Kolkata. The warmth, affection and the deep personal touch associated with Kolkata isn’t there anywhere in the world. This is my city in many ways. My roots are here and I have never tried to move away from it. Boria- Talking about your legacy as a cricketer one will always identify you as one of India’s best ever captains. I am not getting into the debate with Dhoni and who is the best ever but there is no denying that you built the foundation on which Dhoni is building the superstructure. Your thoughts. Sourav- Look I don’t believe in comparisons.You can’t compare eras, players, the opposition etc. It isn’t possible. There were many captains before me who did a good job. Also, and perhaps the most important factor is that I had a great set of players. A captain is as good as his team and I had some of the greatest ever players who have played for India. Tendulkar, Dravid,Sehwag, Laxman and Kumble can walk into any team in the world.Take the ChampionsTrophy for example. Dhoni did not even have to bat and yet India won the tournament. It is all about how good a team you have. I have always maintained that winning away from home is the most important yardstick and in that sense I was fortunate to have a bunch of players who could beat every team in the world away from home. Likewise, Dhoni’s success in the one day realm is just mind blowing. It is not about me or Dhoni or Rahul. It is about Indian cricket. A captain is like a baton bearer in a relay race. Each of us have a job to do and each of us will then pass on the baton to the next person in line who will then do his bit for Indian cricket.Boria- Talk about your current life in commentary It looked like a seamless transition from player to commentator.You have already carved out a niche for yourself as one of the most respected commentators in the world. What explains this transition? Sourav- I don’t consciously try to be the best. I say what I see and try to keep it simple and go deeper at the same time.I don’t criticize players because I have been there and done it all. I am perhaps a little lenient on players at times. A couple of years back I remember walking up to Richie Benaud in Australia and asking him what makes a good commentator? What is it that a commentator is supposed to bring to the table? Richie told me that he had asked the same question of John Arlott in England in the 1970s. Arlott told him and I quote “Don’t say what you see. Add something to it.” That’s what I try and do. While keeping it simple I try to go deeper for my viewers. And I think it has worked so far. More Related
Posted on: Fri, 06 Sep 2013 07:18:14 +0000
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