I have been a cricketer, not a bad one. I follow the game closely. I admire Sourav Ganguly’s achievement in the past. But I am amazed at the present controversy and the manner in which people, particularly from his home state, are reacting.This is said to be Team India. There is a selection committee of very competent cricketers who choose the team. All of us sometimes feel dissatisfied with our own judgment but they do their job and they must always have the last world. Like the Australian cricket selection committee. To be accepted gracefully and not to be challenged, least of all by those who have no business to do so.I am therefore amazed that my friend, the Defence Minister, thinks that the selection is politics, Sourav is a good player and should find his place in the Indian team. West Bengal Chief Minister thinks Sourav’s exclusion is an insult to Sourav and all of us. He raises doubts about the intelligence of the selection committee. He asks whether the selection committee is competent and answers No, they are are not.Even more surprisingly, our honourable Speaker has decided to have a discussion this week on Sourav’s selection. He has already decided that injustice has been meted out to Ganguly due to politics and such incidents will affect the morale of young players and we must take corrective measures.If Parliament starts debating on cricket today, it will have to debate on hockey, football and kho-kho every time a player is dropped.All this is very strange. None of the distinguished persons should really come into the selection matter and condemn the selection committee. If India’s cricket team is to be selected by Parliament and by the pressure of a Chief Minister, then it will not be Team India but a Federal Team fought over by every Chief Minister. While there may be a Prince of Kolkata, the rest of the crikcters are not paupers from Pathankot.I would appeal to everyone to leave the sport alone, let the professional selection committee whose sole right it is to select the team.I am sorry Mr Dalmiya, after 20 years of control of this institution and knowing the ethos of the board, has decided to stoke emotionalism. I would also hope that the new president will do his duty of extending full support to the unanimous decision of his board-appointed, professionally competent selection committee.In this undesirable and improper pressure it will be extremely unfortunate to target Greg Chappell and Rahul Dravid, who are doing such an outstanding job. As far as I am concerned, they can all be from Bengal or from Lakshadweep, if they are the best.(The writer is a former Chief Election Commissioner of India)
