da luck： Sourav Ganguly’s plumping for Yuvraj Singh has really surprised andeven angered the selectors
Staff Reporter27-Jul-2001Sourav Ganguly’s plumping for Yuvraj Singh has really surprised andeven angered the selectors. In fact, a couple of them are evencontemplating coming down severely on him when the five man committeemeets again in Mumbai on August 2 to pick the team for the Test seriesagainst Sri Lanka. And for once, Ganguly will not have the ballrolling his way. The selectors have been antagonized to such an extentthat they have decided not to pay any heed to the suggestions thatGanguly may give on August 2 over the phone.One selector made it clear over the phone on Friday that they were nothappy with the Indian captain. "We have every reason to feel letdown. We selected Amay Khurasia in the side because Ganguly wanted himto. But he opens the batting with Yuvraj Singh. It just shows that heis not ready to function with what we have planned."Such is the gravity of the situation that it is learnt a couple ofselectors have raised the matter with Jaywant Lele, the secretary ofthe Board of Control for Cricket in India. It is not clear as to whatsteps the selectors will take against Ganguly. However, theannouncement of retaining him as captain till the tour of South Africahas already been shelved. The selectors will only declare him ascaptain on a tour to tour basis. They feel that it is the only way tokeep a check on the Indian captain.The selectors are also unhappy at the way Ganguly dropped HemangBadani to accommodate Yuvraj in the side. The decision to send inVirendra Shewag as an opener in the third match has also not gone downwell with the selectors. "He is destroying the balance of the team,"complained another selector over the phone on Friday. They are also ofthe opinion that he should have acted with restraint in the thirdmatch on Thursday. Ganguly showed dissent towards the umpire afterbeing declared leg before leading to his one match suspension. Thisincidentally is the third time that Ganguly has been suspended. Thefirst time was in Kochi against the Australians in the Titan Cuptournament in 1998. The second was against Zimbabwe last year.