Exclusive interview with Captain Sourav Ganguly
Interviewed in September 2002. India have reached the final of the Champions Trophy. It is further said that whether Sourav Ganguly is the best captain of India or not. The interview was so basically captain Sourav. He had to explain more about his captaincy philosophy while lying in bed in his room at the Taj Samudra Hotel in Colombo.
Utpal Shuvro: Many have started saying that you are the best captain of all time in India. How does it feel to hear such things? There is no reason not to feel good, but still want to hear from your mouth.
Sourav Ganguly: It's definitely nice to hear. But I don't think much about it. The team is playing well, that's the biggest thing.
Shuvro: Can your captaincy philosophy be explained?
Sourav: When I became the captain, I said, 'A captain is as good as his team'. A good captain can make 80 to 100, nothing more. Is there anything you can do here before the Nasser Hussein quarter finals (2002 Champions Trophy)? The ballers did bad things, he had nothing else to do. That's why my first look after becoming the captain of India was to build the team properly. Creating the team with the right player in the right place. This time the team is slowly standing up.
Shuvro: You Yuvraj, Harbhajan have fought for many players who have finally proved themselves. Recognizing your talent is also appreciated. What made you fight?
Sourav: Seeing talent, seeing ability. When you see a boy playing, you can tell how he plays. For example, in this tournament, I saw Tayma's new loud baller, named Talha (Talha Jubayer), and he will serve Bangladesh for many days.
Shuvro: Back to that historic series against Australia last year (2001). The way you got into a verbal fight with Steve Waugh was a surprise for Australians. Was it a well thought out strategy?
Sourav: It happens on the playground. Everyone fights hard for the good. But Steve Waugh is a good captain. Their team was also strong. That was the only way for us to get back into the series after losing the first Test. We came back in good spirits.
Shuvro: That came. But my question was, was the way you counter-attacked Steve Waugh off the field thought-provoking?
Sourav: That's a bit. Other than that I knew we were a good team. We lost the first Test of that series because of a remarkable innings by Adam Gilchrist. But then I noticed that as soon as the ball started to spin, the Australian batsmen looked a little shaky.
Shuvro: Is that incredible win the turning point of your captaincy career even after following Eden?
Sourav: I never thought of captaincy as a matter of life and death. If not, I will play as a player. That is the real game for India. I'm the captain today, someone else will be tomorrow. That's why I never take extra pressure. If I lose this match, my captaincy will go away, if I lose that match, my captaincy will go away না I never thought of anything like that. There is no point in thinking like this.
Shuvro: It's not about leaving the captaincy, it's about winning the Kolkata Test against a team like Australia again .... did it really boost your confidence as a captain?
Saurabh: That's right. A lot of times it happens, the new captain when the team loses. That was the hem series on him.
Shuvro: Who was your favorite captain when you started?
Sourav: There was no such thing as a favorite captain. But I like Steve Waugh as a captain.
White: Which aspect of Steve Waugh's captaincy do you like best?
Saurabh: All in all. The way he runs the team, his professional mentality.
Shuvro: Can you talk about a big change in the Indian team after becoming the captain?
Sourav: The impression of my thoughts on cricket has come in the team. For example, keeping Rahul Dravid in check, changing Tendulkar's batting lineup. I can't teach them the game anymore. There is no need to teach the game. Everyone knows what to do when it comes to this level.
Shuvro: There is a lot of talk in India about dropping Tendulkar to number four.
Sourav: Cricket is such a big game in India that all the moves will be discussed. Dravid's keeping has been done, Tendulkar's batting will be done, if Sehwag doesn't get a run in a few days, it will be done. This thing will continue in India.
Shuvro: How much do these conversations or journalists' writings affect you?
Sourav: Not very much. If it is written in a corner, it can be understood that it has been written honestly, or someone has written it out of vengeance. I can understand it after playing for so many days.
Shuvro: After being dropped from the tour of Australia in '92, he returned to the Indian team in '96. Did he ever imagine in his farthest imagination that he would one day be the captain of India?
Sourav: After '92, I thought I would never play for India again, Captain. Play, then Captain.
Shuvro: Tendulkar is a big thing in India when you start playing for India. Twice captained, now playing under your captaincy. Do you have to pay a little attention to him? Such a great batsman, an 'Igae' must be in it.
Sourav: Not at all. He has no name. We turned out enough, trusting each other. So even if there is a lot of talk, it does not affect us.
Shuvro: Come to your batting. Surely a lot has changed in playing?
Saurabh: That's it. That's what happens when you play. But the real mental change is the change in attitude towards batting. The game is probably nineteen-twenty, everyone has technique at this level. The most important thing is how you adjust your mind and play according to the situation.
Shuvro: Short says a lot about your weakness. After playing a couple of innings badly, the screams of not being in form started. Do you think this makes sense?
Sourav: Look, my test average is now 44. For a batsman who is out of form, the average is good, isn't it? Now Sachin is out of form. Out of Form, In Form will continue to be talked about in India. There is so much talk about cricket in India, so many people talk that it will happen. Don't think about it.
Shuvro: Many people say that you are not as big as an ODI batsman but as a Test batsman.
Sourav: I think it's going to be too early to judge my career. Even before this last year, my average in Tests was 50, which indicates a great batsman. Now it has come down to 44. But now I have a lot to play cricket. I have already scored 4,000 runs, the number is not very low. I want to play more, I want to run more. I have scored 4,000 runs in 60 Tests, I think, now is not the time to judge my career.
Shuvro: Where is the target as a captain?
Sourav: World Cup. Let's see, you can go to Kaddur!
(The last World Cup that Sourav mentioned in answer to the last question was the 2003 South Africa World Cup. Kaddur wanted to go and see, went to the final).
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