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Maadhukari: How did you spend your time during ‘Durga Puja’?
This personality needs no introduction. He is the most impressive Bengali icon in National and International sports arena. As the captain of Indian National Cricket team, he took the responsibility to implement "can do" attitude in the team. Kapil Dev and team achieved a dream in international sports which was too good to be true in 1983. Decades later Ganguly revived that dream. As a left-handed batsmen, apart from the tons of runs he scored, Sourav’s grace, class and style can only be compared with those of David Gower and Gary Sobers. As a leader, team builder, motivator, Sourav Ganguly is an image in Indian sports which probably comes once in 100 years.
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Sourav : For years I have missed Pujo due to my cricket commitments. I have grown up in a joint family and had loads of fun as a kid during this festive season. So, ever since I have retired, I try to make sure that the old times are back. Some of my cousins have left Calcutta, but, this is one time of the year when we are back together and the fun is unbelievable. Some very close friends join us which makes it even more special. We play the Dhak, eat Bhog, spend lots of time in the pandal, eat out and do some pandal hopping, although I am mostly confine myself to my car.
Maadhukari: It seems to me that the announcement of your retirement made some people more relaxed and tension free. Why?
Sourav Ganguly
(Our beloved 'Dada')
(Our beloved 'Dada')
Maadhukari: After retirement from the international cricket you said ‘It is a natural process for any sportsman to say goodbye at any time during their tenure”. But all of your fans still believe that the Indian Cricket Board was fully responsible for your early retirement. Do you agree with?
Sourav : I always felt that I should leave this game at a time when everyone says 'why' as to 'why not'. I have been playing for
India for a long time and the time had come to move on. That's all to it, really.
Sourav : I have always backed my players. I was blessed to have some fantastic cricketers in the team when I was captain. We had senior players like Kumble, Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman along with young stars like Sehwag, Harbhajan, Nehra, Zaheer, Yuvraj, and Dhoni. I did not play much domestic cricket during this time, but if I came to know about some young players with special talent, I tried to make sure that they got some attention.
Maadhukari: What are you doing after retiring from the international cricket?
Sourav : I have been busier than ever before. I am in the process of building an educational institution. Apart
This interview was taken by Mr. Joydeep Mukherjee in November, 2010 on behalf of Maadhukari.com. We are extremely grateful to Mr. Mukherjee (Kolkata, India) for his immense contribution. We would also like to introduce Mr. Debabrata Saha (Dallas, TX) and Mr. Ronnie Ganguly (Nashville, TN) for their help and support that made this dream come true. We do express our sincere gratitude to all of them.
Editor's note