INTERVIEW
The promise of a new captain
Two days before the second Test against South Africa in Bangalore,
captain-designate Saurav Ganguly sat down with India Today Associate Editor Rohit Brijnath
for an exclusive interview.
Q. When did you get
to know?
A. At 6.30 p.m. that evening (Saturday, 26 February). Two Bengali journalists called
me up. Of course I’m very happy. It’s the greatest honour for any cricketer.
Q. You’ve made
a remarkable journey since 1992?
A. I never thought I would lead India. When I came back from Australia in 1992, I honestly
never thought I’d play for India again. When I was picked in 1996, my aim was just to
score some runs for India. Then things kept on changing, just different stages of a
man’s life like everyone else.
Q. Did you ever
think of quitting then?
A. Yes, in 1996, I thought I was getting older, that I had to do something with my life.
If I wasn’t picked then I would have quit.
Q. Did you cry then,
in the years you weren’t picked?
A. Yes, obviously. Well, actually I’m not someone who cries. But I love this game,
it’s what I wanted to do, so I was very upset.
Q. Were you
disappointed with what they said about you in 1992?
A. Yes, and I thought I must make sure this doesn’t happen to any other
cricketer. I didn’t play cricket for four months and then I played just one match in
Australia and they branded me as someone who couldn’t play cricket. And above all
else, they said things like I refused to carry the drinks. I was shocked. How can someone
who has just been selected, and just 17, refuse to do such a thing. It’s a lie.
Q. You used to wait
for the team to be announced all those years?
A. You know on the day the teams were announced I would go out for tuition, and as I left
the house I would call the newspapers and they would say there is no news. Then before I
reached my tutors house I would go into a STD booth and call, still no news. Then 20
minutes into tuition I would call again. And then get upset.
Q. You spoke to a
psychologist once, didn’t you?
A. Yes, I played two seasons in Bronsbury (UK). There was a fellow there who was a
psychologist with the soccer team. And I was introduced to him and we met occasionally and
I asked him what do you tell your players when they are down, because I was down. And he
told me a few things that are written in my diary and I go through them once in a while.
Q. Like what?
A. Like never bother about what’s going to happen. Of course, you can’t stop
thinking about it. But he said don’t think what’s going to happen if I score a
duck. If you s core a duck, you do it. But it (not thinking about it) helps you in
concentrating on the actual job in hand.
Q. When you go into
bat, what’s your thought process?
A. First and foremost that I have to score runs. I feel I’m a better player if I
haven’t scored runs in the innings before. Then in the next innings I am alert,
watchful, and that helps me score runs. If I score 140 I’m confident and I might make
more mistakes or a take a few more risks.
Q. I’ve heard
you like to watch yourself play?
A. Yes, I enjoy it, I love the game so much. I enjoy watching the ball hitting the bat
(laughs).
Q. You don’t
have to be embarrassed?
A. No, no. I’m not embarrassed. I love to see myself hitting a cover drive, I
love to see myself scoring a hundred, to see how I look on TV while scoring a 100.
I’ve got tapes of every good one day and Test innings I’ve scored. Also when I
get out, often I go to the TV OB van, and ask them to rewind the tape so I can see it for
10-15 minutes.
Q. One of the
accusations made against you is that you’re selfish?
A. No, that’s not correct. I’ve always believed if I’ve scored a 100 and it
doesn’t help the team then it’s of no value. At 97 I might take less risks,
obviously everyone wants to score a 100. But that should not be at the cost of the team.
I’ve been out so often in the 90s in one-dayers. In Toronto once I was on 96 and in
the 45 over I tried to hit Saqlain for a six and got out. In 1997, I think it was in
Sharjah, I was at 92 and it was the 43rd over. It was a good wicket and we needed more
runs so I stepped out to hit Wasim for four and got out. In Karachi we were chasing and I
was batting 92 in the in the 28th over but I didn’t bother, even though there were
still 22 overs to go, I tried to hit Waqar over covers and got and out. I don’t think
I’m selfish. Maybe once in a while a bowler is bowling a good spell at that
stage, or once in a while I feel if I take 7 balls to score 3 runs I’ll make it up in
the end. And I’ve done that so many times. So it doesn’t bother me, if my
conscience is clear.
Q. You know
there’s going to be criticism if you lose?
A. Yes, I know if we lose there will be blame on the captain. But I’ve always said,
even when I was not captain, that a captain cannot be given all the credit for winning or
all the blame for losing. It’s a team game and the captain is as good as his team.
Q. Unlike some of
your predecessors you don’t seem to have to many advisers?
A. Till now no one has come to say good things about me (laughs). But I’ll do what I
think. I’m going to lead by my instincts. If I feel at a certain point I have to
bowl, I’ll bowl. If I feel a batsman got out to Murli (Karthik) earlier, and that
batsman comes in, I’ll bring Murli on, it doesn’t matter whoever’s bowling.
It plays on the batsman’s mind.
Q. You are
aggressive when you lead Bengal, will that be your style?
A. I’m ready to take risks. I don’t believe in draws. Either you win or you
lose. I may try something that doesn’t work; I’m willing to take the blame for
that.
Q. If you ask player
X or Y to do something and he doesn’t, are you willing to be tough?
A. I might tell X player on this wicket you have to play the cover drive but if tomorrow
he proves that a cover drive is not necessary to score runs but scores off cut shots,
I’ll be happy. My bottom line is performance in the centre. How you score runs or
take wickets is not my problem.
Q. Commitment?
A. That is a must.
Q. Are you willing
to drop a player if he’s not committed?
A. If I see over a span of time that a player is not improving then obviously. You give
your best on the field, even if you fail, I won’t say a word. You don’t give
your best and then fail.
Q. Discipline is
something you clearly want?
A. Yes, discipline, cricketing wise. You do whatever you want after the game, don’t
come back to the hotel, don’t eat, don’t sleep, that’s not my problem. But
from 10 a.m on the ground, from the first over to the last over, I want your 100 per cent.
Q. Can you give me
an example?
A. Well, it’s about doing the right things at the right time. If you’re a Test
match bowler and you bowl 6 overs in a stretch, that’s 36 balls, I expect you to bowl
32 balls outside off stump, on a good line, because you’re an international
cricketer. If you bowl four balls in an over down leg side I won’t tolerate that.
That’s not discipline. If you bowl a good length ball and the batsman hits you for
four, bad luck, that happens, he’s also come here to play cricket. Same with batsmen.
In a one-day game if someone scores 10 runs when it’s required it’s more
valuable to me than a 100.
Q. The lower order
batting is pretty average, do they take it seriously?
A. They take it seriously, but taking batting seriously and performing is a huge
difference. We must work out a certain plan for them. I don’t want you to bat for 30
balls and score 10 runs. If you bat for 10 balls and score 20 runs that is important. The
important factor is the runs they score.
Q. We seem to lack
openers?
A. No, we don’t lack openers; we lack confidence in the openers.
Q. Forget the
system, talent wise we seem behind the world?
A. Not behind the world, behind certain countries. We’re behind Australia
overall as a team, we’re behind South Africa probably in fast bowling, but I still
feel our batting, and our spinners, are better than theirs. We feel we’re as good or
better than Pakistan, and we’re better than New Zealand and Sri Lanka. I won’t
say we’re the worst team in the world in all departments but we have to improve is
some areas.
Q. Like what?
A. Like upgrading the fielding by 10-15 per cent. Our lower order has to bat more
sensibly. And in the slog overs the basic thing is to bowl up in the block hole. If the
batsman hits you for six off a yorker no problem, but at that time if you’re bowling
short that’s wrong. Similarly, if you’ve not scored in the last three games and
go out there in the 48th over and start defending and saying I’ll be not out 5, that
won’t solve our problem. But if you score 10 runs and get out I’ll pick you for
the next game.
Q. You’re known
for expressing your displeasure on the field if someone makes mistakes?
A. If someone is doing something wrong on cricket field you have to tell him then
there’s no point telling him in the dressing room when the match is over, because we
have lost it already. There’s no harm. If I make a mistake and someone says so
I’ll accept it.
Q. You were
criticised heavily for your run-out in Australia (not grounding his bat in the third run).
Do you think too much of a big deal was made of it?
A. Yes, but I understand that because we lost. See no one kicks a dead dog. Nobody made
anything of Sachin’s run-out (to Shane Lee’s throw) because he got out for 30.
But that was also a run out. They made an issue of me because I was batting at 100 and we
had a chance to win so I understand their sentiments. Tomorrow if Sachin does that same
thing after scoring 100 I might also tell him, ‘Skipper, you haven’t grounded
your bat’. So that’s fair enough, its healthy criticism and I don’t mind
that.
Q. Mentally, where
do we stand?
A. We need to get stronger, not everybody, but some guys. When we toured Australia, and
I’m not naming anybody, I felt a few of the guys felt, ‘Oh, it’s a quick
wicket’, or ‘Brett Lee is sharp’ or ‘McGrath is bowling a great
line’. But this is a sign of mental weakness. If he’s bowling a great line you
have to go and bat, you just go and play. If Lee is bowling sharp he’s bowling sharp.
Hell, he’ll hit you what else, break a bone, that type of thing is little bit
lacking. At certain points of the tour we got intimidated and we have to get rid of
this mental block. If that fellow is good he’s also a human being. Today Tendulkar is
a great batsman but he’s also a human being. I’m not saying you’re going to
reach the same class of batsmen as him but at least you try and reach 70 per cent of him.
Q. Are the players,
some of them at least, insecure?
A. Yes, but don’t ask me why. Only idea I can give them is there’s no point
being like that, since by being insecure and thinking negative things, you get out, and
that puts you out of the team.
Q. How will you deal
with the Board?
A. I can only tell them what I want, and I’m sure they’ll listen. If I feel this
is what we need, that we may need one replacement, I’ll tell them. Last (Ranji) game
against Delhi I joined the team two days before match. We had two medium pacers less and
we had prepared a green top. So I went and told Mr. Dalmiya I need two extra fast bowlers,
and he said okay, you’ll get them tomorrow.
Q. It won’t be
that easy with the BCCI?
A. I can only tell them, the rest is up to them.
Q. Azhar is
apparently resented by members of the team, how will you handle this?
A. See, it’s plain and simple. He’s been selected in the team to play for India.
He has to go there and score runs, and he knows that. That’s the basic bottom line
for everyone from captain to the 14th man.
Q. Sachin’s
captaincy seemed to affect his batting. How will you manage that?
A. I have a simple theory, when I’m batting I’ll bat as a batsman and when
I’m captaining only I’ll lead the side. What’s the maximum thing that can
happen, I’ll lose my captaincy, and I’m not scared of that.
Q. There will be
pressure from Bengal, already there’s talk that Uptal Chatterjee will be brought
back?
A. I still feel he’s very good. But whoever’s better will play. If he’s
from Bengal he plays, if he’s from Tamil Nadu he plays, if he’s
from Bangalore he plays. This is according to what I feel or see, but I could be
wrong. I have to trust my opinion.
Q. You’re also
an icon in Bengal but if you lose you might be met with garlands of chappals?
A. They will. I will tell you an incident. I got two hundred’s in my first two Test
matches, in the third Test in Australia I scored runs in both innings, in South Africa,
the first Test, I failed and I couldn’t get back home. I was booed. I’ve seen
that happen in Bengal. I know it will happen. But they also have to realise you can’t
win every time, other teams are as good as you are, some are even better.
Q. But is the
pressure enormous?
A. Nothing can be more pressure than my first Test. I knew that was my first and last Test
if I don’t score any runs.
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