[googly]

Finally, Sourav Ganguly has publicly stated what we all suspected. He has written an email to the Police Commissioner of Kolkata, Prasun Mukherjee, and extended his support to Mukherjee who is contesting against Jagmohan Dalmiya in the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) elections. Ganguly has also written that he is thankful to Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee for interfering in the CAB elections. In the email he has blamed Dalmiya for his downfall and said that CAB is playing with the future of players. He adds that the person responsible for leaking coach Greg Chappell's email to the media should be punished.

 

[spinstar]

I think we know where that bit about punishing the culprits of the email leak comes from. The rumours were that Chappell’s mail was leaked from the CAB itself, and that Dalmiya’s office may actually have been responsible.

 

[crickguru]

Also, Dalmiya did not openly support Ganguly against Dravid during the Chappell controversy because he wanted to get the southern region selectors on his side for the upcoming CAB elections.

 

[pitchman]

Anyway guys, what weight does Ganguly’s email carry now? Both he and Dalmiya are forgotten people.

 

[googly]

I don’t agree with that, Pitchman. Ganguly has clearly chosen his time well, because Dalmiya is now at his weakest. He is obviously aiming to get his brother Snehasis Ganguly into the CAB, and maybe even find a place for himself in the national team. Pathetic.

 

[spinstar]

“I am no longer in the BCCI. I have nothing to give. So, I do not expect loyalty from him,” Dalmiya told the press after Ganguly’s email was made public by CAB dissidents. Ouch.

 

[crickguru]

People, please read this article (http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/india/content/story/224291.html). I think this has interesting sidelights to cast on the whole issue.

 

[googly]

Just read it, Guru. Also can’t help recalling Dalmiya’s letter to Sharad Pawar in December last year asking for Ganguly’s reinstatement in the Indian team. If I remember right, Dalmiya had cited earlier cases of players being recalled and wanted Ganguly back in the side for the Ahmedabad Test against Sri Lanka. I hunted for the text of the letter and found the following excerpt: “It was (a) known fact that justice was not meted out to Ganguly. The position of the BCCI president cannot be devoid of reasonableness and hence, this appeal for ‘justice delayed’ rather than ‘justice denied’.”

 

[crickguru]

Perhaps Ganguly himself has forgotten this? This is what Dalmiya says about the email: “I can’t believe it’s genuine...if it is then it’s very sad. When I was in power I tried to help him as much as I could. The Board appointed top lawyers to hear his appeals against match referees. I don’t know much about this e-mail, but if he [Ganguly] indeed feels I have ruined his career, it’s pitiable. In my entire career as cricket administrator, I have never harmed anyone knowingly, nor have I resorted to any witch-hunt something that is going on against me. I will surely bounce back.”