Team India has forgotten Ganguly: Sehwag - read the headlines. I couldn't believe Sehwag would say that. So I checked another website.

Ganguly a forgotten chapter: Sehwag - said the other top newspaper headline. I still wouldn't believe Sehwag said that. Not that Sehwag does not have a big mouth but generally he directs it to the opposition team.

Still shocked at the headline I decided to probe further. And here is the report on the HT site verbatim :

http://www.htcricket.com/htcricket/7947_1672305,001601190003.htm 

Asked at a press conference on whether the team should move away from the controversy surrounding the former captain's removal, Sehwag said, "We have already forgotten that and the team is looking forward."

"It is past and we want to look ahead of us. We are concentrating on tomorrow’s match," Sehwag added.

On whether Sourav should be drafted back into the squad, Sehwag was diplomatic in his reply, "That is for the selectors to decide. I can't comment on that. But this a young side and making its progress in the right direction."

Another report from Indian Express verbatim goes like this

(http://cricket.expressindia.com/fulleistory.php?content_id=65896):

The Indian team has forgotten the ‘Sourav Ganguly episode’ and was now looking forward to 2007’s World Cup in the West Indies with a clutch of youngsters doing well in the side, according to stand-in skipper Virender Sehwag.

“Of course,” Sehwag replied when asked whether it would be pertinent to forget the Ganguly episode and look ahead after the Indian team’s recent stupendous run, including the decisive 4-0 lead in the ongoing ODI series versus England.

“We have already forgotten that. We are now looking forward to the World Cup. That was the past. Now, with so many youngsters in the team, we are looking ahead,” Sehwag said at the pre-match media conference ahead of the sixth ODI against England.

Sehwag refused to comment on whether Ganguly stood a chance of making it back to the Indian team for the World Cup.

“That is a decision to be taken by the selectors,” he said.

So what actually has Sehwag said! Its clear that he is referring to the episode and not to the Ex Captain himself. The team has forgotten that and is looking forward can only mean that "that" is the episode and not Ganguly himself.

The funny thing is both the reports start with references to the episode and not to Ganguly but the headline conveys a totally different meaning which has basically been done to attract eyeballs. Now by the time one reads the headline one would have already got agitated(like my very good bengali friend cum flatmate) and one would not want to read the full report because one has already made up his mind.

Which is

Chappell is the devil!

Ganguly is the wronged one!

Sehwag is not playing well. So to keep his place in the team he has to cosy up to Chappell and there it is - he is taking pot shots at Ganguly to get into Chappells good books. Ameen !

Since this whole Chappell-Sourav issue has come into existence, except Harsha Bhosle(http://cricket.expressindia.com/columnisthome.php) and Prem Panicker(http://cricket.rediffiland.com/iland/sightscreen.html) of rediff.com I have not seen one unbiased report from anybody. There are always two versions - a pro Ganguly version and an anti Ganguly version of it. But the above two articles are unique in the sense that the headline appeals to the former brigade(including people from Jyoti Basu's state) and the story appeals to the latter group.

The question to be asked is - What is the media f***** doing? Are they helping Indian Cricket? Or are they destroying it? Are they helping Ganguly? Or are they ensuring he stays out?

I have reported - you decide!