Ganguly named captain for South Africa tour

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI, SEPT. 6. The Indian team's physiotherapist Andrew Leipus has given two to three weeks time for Sourav Ganguly to be fit and able to play. Ganguly figures on top of the list of a handful of cricketers Leipus has presented a check list on health count.

But the slightly jarring note about Ganguly did not prevent the five National selectors from naming him captain for the full tour of South Africa.

The tour comprises a tri-series featuring India, Kenya and South Africa followed by a three-Test series between India and South Africa. The three Tests will be played at Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein and at `The Centurion'.

In a short, but concise note Leipus has brought to the notice of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that Ganguly damaged his pelvic region - the physio has explained it has ligament tear/strain - during the third Test against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo and that he will be fit in two to three weeks.

Ganguly's appointment as captain was not in doubt. ``It took just five minutes,'' said Mr. Jaywant Lele, Hon. Secretary, BCCI. At the instance of the five selectors coach John Wright was invited to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) conference room to evaluate the performances of players in Sri Lanka, including that of Ganguly.

``After hearing him (Wright) we decided to give another opportunity to Ganguly. No other player was considered for captaincy. We all thought he (Ganguly) was the right person to lead India in South Africa. He has done a fairly good job. His track record is good. Under his captaincy, India has won six Tests and reached the finals of four limited-over tournaments,'' said Mr. Chandu Borde, chairman of the selection committee.

The team is scheduled to fly out on September 24, just about the time Ganguly is expected to be fit. The selectors have discounted the severity of the injury (they hope Ganguly will have sufficient time to return to top condition before India's first match against South Africa at The Wanderers on October 5) and have named him captain, but they may not apply a similar logic while considering the case of middle order batsman, V.V.S. Laxman.

The Hyderabad batsman, Laxman, according to a certificate presented by him on Wednesday, is expected to be fit only by September end, which is too close to the first one-day match against South Africa on October 5. Mr. Chandu Borde's committee might not risk playing Laxman in an international match straightaway. The argument is that Laxman would not have played a match after a knee surgery in Sydney on August 17.

``That's (Laxman's fitness) a big worry. We are very much concerned about the fitness aspect of the players. We discussed it at length today and we will do it tomorrow. We are going to pick players subject to their fitness. We would like to send the fittest team to South Africa. We always pick players based on their skill and talent. We have the reports on the players from their doctors and also from Leipus. I think it's better to send a soldier who is fully fit to fight on the battle field,'' said Mr. Borde.

``The players will be picked depending on their fitness and the nature of the injury. Well, we all know that it takes three weeks to recover from a hairline fracture, it's different in the case of a player who has undergone surgery,'' added Mr. Lele.

Anil Kumble, who has been out of action for nearly 10 months has been cleared by Leipus. Both Leipus and John Wright met him in Bangalore on Tuesday. ``He (Kumble) can now throw from the boundary line. Leipus' report is very encouraging,'' said Mr. Borde. Sachin Tendulkar, too, has told the BCCI that he was fit and could be considered for the full tour.

There are question marks against Zaheer Khan and Sadagopan Ramesh. The left-arm seamer, Zaheer Khan has lower abdominal problems and strain in his right foot. Leipus has given him poor marks on the count of his general fitness. Left-hander, Ramesh (who is not likely to be considered for the tri-series) has a lower back problem with Leipus suspecting a disc injury. He has been asked to undergo an MRI check, given a rehabilitation programme for seven weeks. Leipus has asked the BCCI to obtain a medical certificate from Ramesh before he makes himself available for the Test series.

The selectors, along with Ganguly and coach Wright, will meet here on Friday to pick 14 more players for the first part of the tour. The selectors appear to have made up their mind on Laxman. His place may be taken by Jacob Martin. The batsmen in the squad are likely to be Ganguly, Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Hemang Badani, Martin and Yuveraj Singh. Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad, Ashish Nehra, Zaheer Khan (Mr. Borde said he would be fit in 10 days) or Harvinder Singh are likely to carry the fast bowling hopes.

The two spinners will be Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble. That leaves the selectors with two more berths one of which will be taken by Reetinder Singh Sodhi. The wicketkeeper- batsman should be Sameer Dighe; the selectors are keen to give him another opportunity. But there are whispers of Nayan Mongia getting a recall.

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