Ganguly retires
08-10-2008 - 05:58
Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has announced he is to end his international career after the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series against Australia.
The prolific left-hand batsman declared he would retire content with his achievements for India.
The 36-year-old has scored 6,888 runs from 109 Tests and has 11,363 runs from 311 one-day internationals.
Ganguly, who also chips in with right-arm medium pace, is only one of three international players to have completed the treble of 10,000 runs, 100 wickets and 100 catches in ODIs.
But it is as India's most successful captain he will most likely be remembered, even though a strained relationship with former coach Greg Chappell after the latter's appointment in 2005 brought a premature end to his stewardship.
Ganguly insisted he was not concerned about his legacy, saying: "When you play for so long you learn to put speculation behind you and go on with the game."
"I think I have achieved enough in this sport."
Ganguly was at the centre of an intense media debate surrounding the fate of the senior players after he was dropped from the Rest of India squad for the domestic Irani Trophy match.
Reports suggested the Bengal batsman, a veteran of 109 Tests, had considered quitting cricket then, but he was surprisingly named in a 15-member squad for the first two Tests of the series by a new panel of selectors.
On Tuesday, though, he confirmed he would not be around when England tour later in the year.
"This is going to be my last series," Ganguly said.
"I have decided to quit and I have already told my team-mates that this would be my last series."
"Honestly, I didn't expect to be picked for this series."
"Being overlooked for the Rest of India side was a surprise, but I was still training and practising with the Bengal players."
His inclusion in the team had sparked another debate in the media suggesting the left-hander and other seniors in the team, such as skipper Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, had reached a 'voluntary retirement scheme' deal with selectors.
Ganguly again denied those reports.
"This speculation on reaching a deal with selectors is a story that is going on for some time really, and it will continue to go on," he said.
"I don't think it is possible for anyone to offer you a 'voluntary retirement scheme'."
"I don't think that is ever possible in sport and you cannot do that to players like Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman or Sachin Tendulkar or anyone else for that matter."
"All of us have been performing. I understand that we had a poor series in Sri Lanka, but that doesn't take away anything that we have given over the last few years or our entire careers."
"They have been outstanding players and when the time comes I'm sure they will go on their own terms."
"There has been a lot of things written in the past and there will be a lot written in the future. But what is important is what you hear from the board."
"And as far as I'm concerned and as far as some of the other senior players are concerned, we have not received any intimation on this."
"Obviously some people have been selected and some have been dropped. But that is the way selection goes."
Chairman of the selection panel Krishnamachari Srikkanth said he hoped Ganguly went out with a bang.
"I think he has made the right decision," Srikkanth said. "He has been an excellent player and has done the country proud."
"He is one of the best captain's the world of cricket has seen and I hope he goes out in style."
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