Kolkata: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly, who has donned many hats in cricket and remains a keen follower of the game, shared his views on several topics in an exclusive interview with TOI. From the omission of Auqib Nabi to the future of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ganguly offered his candid opinions.
Auqib Nabi's Omission and Prince Yadav's Selection
On being asked whether the domestic structure is being ignored after Auqib Nabi's impressive Ranji season was overlooked for the India squad while Prince Yadav earned a call-up, Ganguly said: "Nabi should have been in the squad for the Afghanistan series. He bowled superbly in the Ranji Trophy. But Prince Yadav is also talented and he's so quick. I think the selectors have done a wonderful job by giving Prince the opportunity to play, because when you have pace, you don't keep them in first class. I think both should have got picked."
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Readiness for International Cricket
When asked if the time is right for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to be included in the Indian team, Ganguly responded: "In T20s, he should be included right away, but not in Test cricket. He has to score more runs in first-class cricket to get a place. But at the moment he's just too talented. To see a 15-year-old boy bat like this against everyone in the world is phenomenal. He is India's future."
Rishabh Pant's Consistency and Captaincy
Addressing Rishabh Pant's lack of consistency and whether captaincy is weighing him down, Ganguly said: "He's a very good Test player. His Test match batting is world class. He's still finding it tough to adapt to T20 cricket. I hope he does because he's got enormous talent. Captaincy is a burden on everyone. It's how you handle it. But then you want to be captain, isn't it? You want to be captain because it's a huge honour. So you will have to get that balance right. You do it or somebody else will."
The Rise of T20 Cricket
Reflecting on whether he, Rahul Dravid, and Sachin Tendulkar foresaw T20 becoming so big in 25 years when they stepped away from the format, Ganguly said: "No. We learned our cricket in a different era. And why just the three of us? Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara, Joe Root, Alastair Cook... you name it. It's a different generation. Things keep changing in life, nothing is static. So players change too and that is the way it's going to happen. T20 cricket is here to stay and it will continue to produce talent which will just swing through the line and put the ball in the stands."
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