Sourav Ganguly: Captaincy is tough, I went grey because of it

India Today

14 hours ago

(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated December 2, 2002)It should give the old codgers a coronary. Sourav Ganguly leads India in the Test series against New Zealand this month just one Test victory short of equalling Mohammed Azharuddin's record as the most successful Indian captain. Ganguly took over in mid-2000 during a difficult period post-match fixing and has led India in 30 Tests with 13 wins, 8 losses and 9 draws to Azhar's 14 wins, 14 defeats and 19 draws from 47 Tests. In one-dayers, Ganguly has 43 wins from 82 matches, while Azhar had 89 from 173. The controversial and confrontational left hander from Bengal tells Associate Editor Sharda Ugra about the pains and pleasures of the toughest job in Indian sport. Q. In four of their last five away series, the Indians have gone into the final Test with a chance to win but haven't. Will New Zealand be different?A. It's my one aim, my dream to win a series overseas. We have come close so many times now - the talk of 16 years and no away series wins goes on and it can be irritating, but cricket's not about talk, not about ifs and buts. Until we do it, such talk will remain. New Zealand will be a tough side at home. But my team has a lot of talent. I haven't been part of an Indian team that has so much talent and I'm being frank here. Q. You're one short of Mohammed Azharuddin's record of most Test wins by an Indian captain. When did the possibility of breaking that record strike you?A. When I started, I didn't know whether I would survive as captain. You don't start a career thinking about statistics, but now when you're close to a record like this, you feel good. But every win is a team effort. You feel good because the players you have backed through thick and thin have delivered the goods. It's a very satisfying feeling. Q. India may have had a good year. But where are we in relation to Australia? What would happen if we toured Australia for a Test and one-day series now?A. Australia are still the No. 1 Test team. In one-day cricket we are at par with the best team in the world, which is still Australia. Australia are formidable, but I think we have played well in all conditions recently, in England, West Indies, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. Last year we had a lot of injuries that hampered our campaigns abroad. Q. But where is your team in the rankings at the moment?A. I don't believe in rankings. Sometimes the rankings surprise me. I don't think it's fair to judge a team on the basis of rankings. This year we've lost one series in the West Indies and a one-day series at home, but other than that we've won everything and we drew the Test series in England. Q. How would you say your captaincy has changed?A. It is a job you grow into. Any captain will take some time to settle down. Nobody is an outstanding leader straightaway. When I became captain, we had a very young team. It was a bit difficult to get them to combine but we managed to do that by retaining the same team for a certain span of time. I'm a much better captain now I think, more mature, I hope. I analyse situations much better. Fatherhood has changed me; I've become more patient. When you get back home and see your daughter smile, you forget whether you had a good day or a bad day. Q. What's been the trademark of your captaincy?A. More than winning Tests and winning overseas, I feel that every player in this team believes injustice won't be done to him. Which I think is a huge thing in a dressing room. Q. Knowing Indian cricket from the inside, did you think you could change things when you took over?A. Definitely. I believed I could. At this level you have to feel you can make things happen. I got a lot of confidence when I led the team in the ICC Trophy in Kenya. The way we played made me feel I could turn things around with this side. When I led in Toronto in 1999 we didn't have Sachin Tendulkar, Ajay Jadeja, Javagal Srinath, Azhar and Anil Kumble, yet we still beat a full-strength West Indies that had Courtney Walsh, Brian Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Q. You're considered a seamer-friendly rather than a spinner-friendly captain, which is not common among Indians.A. No, not really. It depends on the surface. This year in England we played two spinners for the most part of the series. Except at Lord's, where I thought I made a mistake by playing only one spinner. I didn't expect the wicket to turn so much. It's only in the West Indies that I played one spinner - the wickets were not helpful and they had good players of spin bowling. Q. Indian captains aren't known to be as emotional or demonstrative either.A. There have been many times when emotion has got the better of me ... like after we won the NatWest Trophy final. But it is easier when your side plays well - it's always the case with captaincy. Look at Steve Waugh. I'm not saying his job is easy but obviously he has a much easier time than other captains because he has such a fantastic side. This year all our batsmen have scored runs when the team was in trouble. It has made things easier for me and allowed me to be more settled. Q. What's the worst part of the job?A. It's a tough job. I've gone grey because of it - I think so anyway. It's tension, hard work. Captaincy is extra pressure on top of what you have as a player. The best part is the honour of being the man who leads the Indian team. The worst is when you don't do well, then you just have to cop it. Q. How do you cop it if you think the criticism is unfair?A. To people I know, I ask, 'Why are you making things difficult?' I do. A lot of times I've felt - and I may be wrong - that criticism is based on personal likes and dislikes, which is unfair. But that goes with the job and you have got to get used to it. I have always thought that when I walk out on the field leading India, I will give my best. I don't want to come off the field thinking I could have given a bit more. Obviously, I make mistakes, everybody does, no captain is perfect. I think I'm mentally tough, otherwise I would have never survived seven years in Test cricket and I intend to survive a bit longer. Q. Knowing what you know now, what do you tell your players who are struggling?A. Last year when I was not getting runs, Rahul Dravid told me, 'You're one evening away from greatness'. That line has had a huge effect on my cricketing career. I now tell players who are struggling what Rahul told me - keep working hard and do the things you did when you played well and believe. Q. Weren't you more fortunate than most captains to have fewer seniors and fewer egos to appease in the team?A. A team is like a family. In a family, a lot of things depend on how your elders are. The atmosphere in the dressing room depends on how the senior guys behave. Ours have done a fantastic job of passing on good habits, good practices. It's up to the younger players to now pass that on. Even if some injustice was done to them they should ensure it isn't repeated with their juniors. Q. Weren't you lucky also to ask for and get a foreign coach?A. It wasn't just me. All of us were involved. Sachin was equally important in the process, Anil, Rahul, all of us. We couldn't let things be the way they were. People don't remember personal glory. People won't recall how many runs Mohammed Kaif scored in the NatWest final or what Rahul scored in Headingley. They only remember India won the NatWest final and at Leeds batting first on a seaming wicket. People remember India won. John Wright is a very good man. I trust him a lot. Many times, I do things on my own. He may give me a suggestion but I may try something else. But the best thing he has done is to send the right vibes in the dressing room about hardwork and fitness. I honestly feel he is one man who can do a lot of good for Indian cricket. Someday somebody else will be captain and they will have another coach but I think John should still be involved with Indian cricket. He has a lot of ideas, he can help youngsters grow and become better players. Q. Captains are known to turn to books for inspiration and growth. You're not a great reader, so where do you turn?A. I'm not fond of reading, no. I draw inspiration from people I see around me. I have a lot of regard for Steve Waugh as a character, as a cricketer. He got a hundred in Sharjah under pressure and I watched every ball of his innings. I get a lot of inspiration from his career, how he conducts his cricket.advertisementSubscribe to India Today Magazine- EndsMust Watch