Pawar should intervene in Ganguly affair: Dalmiya

Former Board of Control for Cricket in India chief Jagmohan Dalmiya on Monday urged newly-elected BCCI president Sharad Pawar to ensure that Sourav Ganguly be considered for selection to the Indian squad for the tour of Pakistan early next year.

"The whole nation is debating on this issue. Though selection is the prerogative of the selection committee Pawar should intervene into the matter and see that Ganguly is considered for selection for the Pakistan tour," he told reporters during the course of the second day's play in the third Test against Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad.

Dalmiya, whose candidate Ranbir Singh Mahendra was ousted as president after the board elections at Kolkata last month-end, is here to watch the ongoing Test as an invitee of the Gujarat Cricket Association.

"There have been several instances in the past when presidents have intervened in the selection process," Dalmiya said.

"For example, in the 1980s when Sunil Gavaskar was dropped from the team, the then board president had intervened and saw that he was included in the team.

"There was another case much earlier (in 1940s) when Mushtaq Ali was dropped and the then board president Duleep Sinhji had intervened on the player's behalf," he pointed out.

"Also when Kapil Dev was dropped (for the Kolkata Test 1984-85 against England) the then president Bishwanath Dutt had intervened," he added in support of his argument.

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"Even during the time when I was secretary of the board and Raj Singh Dungarpur was the president Ganguly was made the vice-captain of the team, but Raj had spoken to the selectors and changed it, so that Anil Kumble was made the vice-captain," he said further.

Dalmiya said he has already written a letter to Pawar on the raging issue of Ganguly's omission from the third Test team and the latter had replied to it saying he did not wish to intervene in the selection matters.

"One cannot force the board president to intervene (in such matters) but if he wants anything to do over the issue he should ask the selectors to consider Ganguly for the Pak tour," he concluded.

Former BCCI secretary and Dalmiya's right-hand man S K Nair said, "I personally feel that Ganguly should have been given one more chance. It was unfortunate that he was not considered and the winning team was not retained as is the normal case."