Protests follow Ganguly's axing
Cricinfo staff
December 15, 2005
Some fans have reacted angily to the dropping of former captain Sourav Ganguly for the third Test against Sri Lanka at Ahmedabad, with protests in his home town of Kolkata and throughout the state of West Bengal
Protestors blocked roads and railway tracks, condemning what they claimed was the injustice of the decision. Effigies of Indian coach Greg Chappell and chief selector Kiran More were burnt and their pictures were garlanded with shoes in Esplanade, a business hub, and elsewhere in the city. Crowds marched through the streets, chanting slogans: "We want Sourav back" and "Chappell, More go to hell."
Soumitra Chatterjee, hero of many of Satyajit Ray's films, told a press conference it was the saddest treatment that a national hero had ever received. "It's an act of treachery to cricket that has polluted sport's atmosphere," he said. West Bengal urban development minister, Asoke Bhattacharya, said Ganguly was a victim of the Indian Cricket Board's politics, arguing: "There is no logic in dropping him after his performance in the Delhi Test."
Fans were waiting at Kolkata airport when Ganguly returned late on Wednesday and later gathered in front of his house shouting support for him. There were chaotic scenes at the airport, and Ganguly was rushed to a waiting car and sped off.
© Cricinfo
