BOMBAY, 11 April 2003 — The love-hate relationship that Indian cricket captain Saurav Ganguly has with members of the media, as well as some prominent former cricketers, was further accentuated last Monday, during a reception hosted by the Indian President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in honor of the World Cup team. Even as the members of the team, smartly turned out in their ceremonial suits, tie, crest et al, were being felicitated, Ganguly stunned everyone present, including his own colleagues, by abruptly leaving the function for a flight he had to catch.

The reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, which was arranged sometime ago, in the hope that India would win the World Cup, went as scheduled despite the fact that the team had lost to Australia, and rather badly at that, in the final. All the members of the team, a dozen cricket officials and several former players attended the reception.

It is not often that the country’s sports persons are felicitated in such a grand manner as it was a few days ago, when even the busy prime minister took time off to meet the cricketing celebrities. Vajpayee was seen holding Tendulkar’s right hand in both his hands for quite a long time.

So much for the importance of being Sachin Tendulkar. But midway through the function, Ganguly suddenly excused himself and drove straight to the airport in a private car, which took time to locate in view of the tight security in and around New Delhi’s most well-known address.

The sudden departure of the Indian captain took people present somewhat aback. Although no one clearly mentioned that it was so, there was a definite breach of protocol, so strictly observed on such occasions.

There were several other members of the Indian team who were to fly to Dhaka, a couple of days later and where was the hurry for Ganguly to rush to Calcutta the same evening.

Perhaps, the Indian captain is still carrying the disappointment of a poor display in the final, on his head, as an embarrassment. It may also be that an outburst by former left-arm spinner and Indian captain Bishen Sigh Bedi against Ganguly’s captaincy, a day earlier in the capital, may have upset “Dada’s” mood.

Whatever it is, the top Board of Control for Cricket in India officials, who were all present, did not take it kindly to the skipper leaving in the middle of the function. Bedi, a maverick himself in his playing days and thereafter, had berated Ganguly for his decision to bowl first, after winning such an important toss in the World Cup final.

“It was one of the biggest blunders I have known to be ever committed by an Indian captain. The decision was defensive and negative,” he said.

Bedi, a no great admirer of Ganguly, not by a long chalk, maintained his earlier comments that captaincy be taken away from “this man, who does not even justify his place in the team.” Of course this was said before the Indian captain notched up his third century in the World Cup.

“Centuries against whom ?” asked Bedi. At a seminar, Bedi said that Ganguly was terribly nervous at the time of the toss and then shocked everyone, including his own team members, by opting to field first. Bedi turned round to ask Ashish Nehra, who was also present at the event, “Did he consult the bowlers before the toss, about the prospects of bowling first. “No,” said Nehra.

“There it is. We have a captain who does not take the bowlers or any of the team members into confidence. This indeed is appalling,” said Bedi.

But there are others who acclaim that Ganguly is an excellent captain, a leader who has changed the course of Indian cricket. The media too has different views. One of the reasons for all the criticism is that the current Indian captain has not exactly endeared himself to some of those who make up the media.

At Durban, just before the match against England, Ganguly, without naming Krishmachari Srikkanth in particular, said that some of the former cricketers serving as commentators “was a big joke.”

The immediate provocation for this comment was an unkind remark made by the former opener and Indian captain as to the right batting position for Ganguly. Srikkanth had said tongue-in-cheek “The only position I can think of for Saurav Ganguly is No. 14.” What he meant was that the skipper had no place in the playing eleven.

Well, Ganguly will have his critics as well as his admirers. After the World Cup final even some of his admirers within the team itself have turned his critics. It is learned that all the batsmen in the team had pledged to give their best in the final to provide India an unbeatable total. The bowlers in turn had said that they would bowl right out of their skin to defend any total that is given to the team. In other words, the Indian team’s confidence level was on such a high before the final. But the toss and the strange decision of the captain changed all that.

Is this one mistake affecting Ganguly’s confidence as well, as much as his behavior?