Ganguly's remarks left manager 'astonished'

[Ashok]

Amitabh Choudhury, the manager of the Indian side on their recent tour to Zimbabwe, has said he was "astonished" with Sourav Ganguly's revelations to the media about goings on in the dressing-room and felt that he had "gone back on a deal".

"We all agreed that this was a matter that should stay between us and should not, under any circumstances, be discussed with the media," Choudhury told The Indian Express. He said he asked Ganguly why he'd gone public, to which the captain replied that he'd responded to a journalist's question.

Tracing the origin of the whole crisis, Choudhury added that Chappell's suggestion that Ganguly step down as captain was a "very remarkable thing to happen". "Sourav then said that the coach had told him the reasons why he should step down as captain. First, his current form did not warrant his being in the team as captain. And second, that in the Mutare match he had left the field because the new ball had been taken by the Zimbabwe team.

"In my opinion, the coach's was an extraordinary decision. It should not have been taken during the tour. And it should be left for the national selection committee to look into it. I told Sourav that you have done the right thing by speaking your heart ... I told him that he must keep cool. I will try to resolve the problem. I went to Rahul and told him the facts. Rahul agreed with me that any decision on matters related with the coach's decision must not be taken on a tour. Then both Rahul and I went to Chappell and explained to him what effect his decision, if honoured, would have on the team. He did consider that he had made some suggestion to the captain.

"Then all three of us went to Sourav and talked to him for 30 to 40 minutes. All four of us agreed on two things. One, the status quo being maintained with Sourav remaining captain. Two, all four of us keep the entire affair a closely guarded secret.''

Choudhury didn't want to comment on Chappell's observation that Ganguly was mentally and physically not fit to be captain, but, added that his `tantrums and `uppishness' might have irritated Chappell.