Dada's Fury

Once upon a time I was a die-hard Sourav Ganguly fan. Oh well, things change. People change. Ganguly changed (or rather, his performance).

If Dada's I-was-asked-to-step-down comment is true (and everyone says it is), then it just shows that this man worked when he felt his "secure" position was threatened.

As Ganguly has said ever so often, he doesn't really care about what people write or say about him. So the man simply ignored his criticism in the media and in the cricket world. He continued to be comfy in his seat as the captain of the Indian cricket team, and no one could touch him. It's quite possible that neither the Indian management nor his team-mates opposed his captaincy overtly. And if they did, they were probably the ones who didn't matter in the larger scheme of things (like the BCCI, top management, or the selection committee).

But when Dada perceived a real threat to his position and a possible end to his days of power, he pressed the panic button, and put up a match-winning century. I have a hunch that if the "step down" statement had not been made, there would have been no century, perhaps no runs at all. Should a team leader (in sports or elsewhere) have such a mental make-up?

Greg Chappell was Ganguly's choice for coach, and the coach is a man who doesn't hesitate to give his opinion. Ergo, dear Dada, you two have different working styles, and he refused to play the typical Indian political games by speaking his mind. Plus, he bruised your ego, so what? Get over it.

I earlier thought Greg Chappell was a decent coach. Now I think he's just awesome.

Rock on, Greg! (And speak up more often).

PS- Is there a Greg Chappell: Speaks his Mind fan club?