“They should just drop him from the team,” opined my colleague about Sourav Ganguly. On my asking why, he tells me that Sourav is too old to be playing T20 cricket. I point out that he's just removed 2 of Kings XI's most dangerous batsmen. My colleague replies,"that's because the conditions assist swing bowling"! I am stupefied by this argument. I am about to lash out at him, but i know it would be futile. His hatred for Sourav is ingrained deep within ... it is without logic ... he is merely conforming to the fad of Sourav bashing. He further opines that the Indian team has been able to grow only after Sourav had been unceremoniously dumped from the Indian team. In stating what he believes to be the effect, he implies that Sourav was the cause that was holding team India back for all these years. Well, I guess that Tiger Pataudi,Sunny Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Md. Azharuddin, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid had all, during their captaincies, taken India to spectacular heights! And I presume all these undisputed cricketing greats have a better captaincy record than Sourav!
There…I’ve poured my angst into words!
I have always been an avid Ganguly fan…in the true sense of the abbreviated word fanatic. But this time round its not only Ganguly who is being wronged…it is also the city that has given birth to India’s most successful captain that is being victimized.
In one of my earlier blogs I’d stated that King Khan might be thinking of moving the team out of Kolkata. The Indian Premier League was founded as a domestic cricket extravaganza (with a strong city connect) that would have the cricketing heavyweights from all over the world participating in it. In his quest to give his team a global branding, Khan has decided to remove the city association thereby removing the city name from all merchandize, team logo, etc. Having done this he has the cheekiness to appeal to ‘Bongs, Bengalis from all over the world to pray for us. If you are with us amra korbo lorbo jeetbo re!’ Mr. Khan, can you please stop the act and be man enough to spell out your plans for your team? Or did your plan extend till supporting Buchanan’s amazingly imaginative 4-captain theory?
Boria Mazumdar, the noted cricket historian, has also stated on television ‘not Kolkata Knight Riders, please say Knight Riders’! Sarcasm or a feeling of betrayal?
As I write this, Khan’s Knights have already won their second match, courtesy Messers Duckworth and Lewis. The rain had unfortunately cut short a very entertaining Gayle-storm. Earlier they had put up a spirited show to restrict Punjab to 157. A wonderful comeback from their last game! Johnny Buck notwithstanding, the Knights seem to have got their act together.
Just a parting shot – I can’t help it, I am a Bengali – Bengalis, please think before you cheer your heart out for Khan and Buck’s team – because that's what it is.
N.B. - Palabo is a Bengali word that means 'to run away'
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from a neutral point of view...
ReplyDeletewhy isnt there controversy around a sachin from mumbai ? or a Sehwag from Delhi ? .
why is it that wherever saurav goes there is some controversy surrounding that team.
why cant it just be him playing.
why does every coach seem to have a problem with the man.
P.S : I appreciate his game when he plays well. also his captaincy for india.
Whatabout Dhoni for Chennai and Warne for Rajasthan Royals? The teams in no way are significant for thier states/cities. They're just there for "name"sake. But I agree with you on the fact that taking off the city's name from the team's name is despicable. Whoever said "What's there in a name" is lucky enought not to be seeing IPL.
ReplyDeletebtw, guys, do read http://fakeiplplayer.blogspot.com
if u follow even the slitest bit of IPL, u gonna like it. trust me, more entertaining that IPL