Sourav Ganguly reveals when Anil Kumble was almost dropped
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly revealed how he persuaded the selectors to not drop Anil Kumble for India’s tour of Australia in 2003-04. Ganguly admitted Kumble was almost dropped, as the selectors wanted a left-arm spinner and were looking at Murali Kartik.
But Ganguly’s insistence on picking Kumble paid rich dividends as the leg spinner finished as the highest wicket-taker in the series, with 24 scalps and helped secure a 1-1 draw for India that ensured that India retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
“The selectors were picking Kartik saying 'Kumble doesn't pick wickets outside India'. But I was hell bent and said I won’t go without Kumble as the meeting went on till 2'o clock in the night," Ganguly said during INFOCOM 2015, the 14th annual Information and Communication Technology conference.
"Selectors told me if Kumble doesn't take wickets and team doesn't do well, 'we'll have a new captain'. We had the best ever Australian trip in the history. Kumble finished that season as the highest wicket taker on the ICC calendar”.
Speaking about incident during his address on ‘Transforming setbacks into comebacks’, Ganguly added that creating trust was more important as a leader.
"He (Kumble) was a champion and was going through a phase when he was not taking wickets. That was a part of setbacks. That time you don’t ask him to leave but give him that extra yards. That's how you create trust," the southpaw said.
Ganguly also revealed that he did not want to quit in 2006 (when he was dropped) because he didn’t want to regret it later.
"It was one of the biggest setbacks after being left out because of my coach (Greg) Chappell. It happened after getting a hundred in Zimbabwe. But that was one part of my life which changed me as a person. If you keep trying hard, you'll come out of it.
"I came back to score my first ever double hundred (against Pakistan), I also got my first ever Test hundred at (my home ground) the Eden. So it's about being passionate about what you do and love your job," Ganguly said.
Speaking about his ODI comeback, when his 98 helped India secure a 14-run win over West Indies in January 2007, he said: "After coming back from a six months' layoff, I was very nervous on the eve of the Nagpur ODI. I could not sleep. I was so angry and at 3am I called the reception to ‘find me a way to sleep'.
“I was so nervous and desperate to do well. I didn't get one minute of sleep till 6am and we left for the ground at 6.45am being a day match. The first ball I got hit on elbow but I went on to get a 98 before being runout. This is the pressure we go through in life.”