“Bat in your hand looks like a table tennis racquet” - Sourav Ganguly recalls funny conversation with Jhulan Goswami
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has revealed details of a funny interaction he had with Indian women’s veteran fast bowler Jhulan Goswami. Ganguly recalled telling Goswami that the bat in her hand looked like a table tennis racquet and suggested a change of willow.
In an interaction on the chat show Backstage with Boria, Ganguly said about his conversation with the fast bowler:
“She is so tall. So I told her that ‘when I see the cricket bat in your hand, it looks like a table tennis racquet. You need to get something different so that you can hit the ball’. I could see it that she was struggling to get in line, get in balance to play that cricket ball.”
Ganguly added that, despite turning administrator, the cricketer in him will never go away and he is always open to helping the current generation. The 49-year-old elaborated:
“I am a cricketer, period. I am extremely proud of that and that excites me. If I can change somebody’s game… I remember speaking to Ajinkya Rahane before the Melbourne Test last year and asking him to make some changes in his technique. That’s the knowledge I have and that’s what excites me.”
2pm. #BackstagewithBoria episode 2. With @SGanguly99 we are delighted with the response for the @ImRo45 episode. Close to 11 million views so far. @RevSportz @pranmaz @AgeasFederal @Just_My_Roots @OfficialFanatic https://t.co/Pr7mScLVhB
As captain, Ganguly took over the reins of Indian cricket in the aftermath of the 2000 match-fixing scandal. He ushered in a new era, backing bright young talents who transformed into match-winners.
Ganguly heaps praise on Ravichandran Ashwin
Sourav Ganguly is all praises for Ravichandran Ashwin 🙌
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During the same interaction, Ganguly also lauded senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for his immense contribution to Indian cricket.
The BCCI president has been extremely vocal in his backing of Ashwin. Speaking about the veteran off-spinner, he said:
“Look at the number of winning teams he has been a part of. 2011 World Cup, he was part of the winning team for India. 2013, when he won the Champions Trophy, he was a leading bowler in that tournament. When CSK won IPLs, he was the main bowler for them, bowling in the powerplay and difficult situations. Look at his Test record, it is phenomenal. It does not need me to say Ravichandran Ashwin is exceptional.”
The former captain also opened up on the decision to recall Ashwin for the T20 World Cup, even though he hadn’t played white-ball cricket for India for four years.
Ganguly admitted that he wasn’t sure of Ashwin being part of the limited-overs set-up. He revealed that it was Virat Kohli who was keen to have the off-spinner’s experience in the squad for the T20 World Cup.