Zoo Station

I have been watching the whole affair with Ganguly with increasing bemusement. Why include him now for the tour of Pakistan since his performance has hardly redeemed itself, and since there are better choices for the side than him? Peter Roebuck says what needs to be said.

India has been playing some spirited cricket. Irfan Pathan has become a talented all-rounder whose abilities might allow the selectors to play five bowlers without weakening the batting, Dhoni has emerged as a fine stumper, Zaheer Khan is a reformed character, even Ajit Agarkar has improved thanks to bowling from closer to the stumps. Virender Sehwag has been told to slim down. These are steps in the right direction.

Ganguly's role in Pakistan must be defined. Presumably Yuvrav will be dropped and he will take his place, a decision likely to affect the morale of the side. Yuvraj scored runs in his last match and deserves a chance to establish himself. Alternatively Ganguly could be left twiddling his thumbs which seems worse than omitting him altogether. If a reserve is needed it is better to give an emerging batsman the chance to sample the atmosphere of Test cricket.

Supposing Gangles scores a few runs, what then? In a year's time the whole process will begin again. Indian cricket has made a rod for its own back.

Some intrepid citizens put together a petition to protest Ganguly's exclusion. While I sympathize with the sentiments therein, having been something of a Ganguly fan myself, I would say that, at this point, all that Ganguly is owed is an apology. The case of Ganguly has not been handled very well, but surely that does not call for a place in the team. Perhaps what we need is a counter-petition :)

Update : As Amit quite perceptively pointed out, the title ought to be "L'affaire Ganguly" and not "L'affaire de Ganguly". MDR. Merci :)