The Metamorphosis

Days went by...so did months...and two years passed by. During, these two years Sourav had not known any beyond the Gymnasium and cricket ground. He was focussed on his goal...and was expending all his energy to hone his cricketing skills. But his mind wasn’t at peace. Often the Australian tour haunted him, making him restless, and desperate. He couldn’t but free his mind. It was still burdened with scepticism.

In 1994 Sourav went to England to play the County Cricket. He got a chance to play in the minor county, for Brondsberir. He had been here before as a member of the Kailash Ghatani team. He was at school that time. Those days seemed golden to him. The present however was different. What was missing...he wondered sometimes. It was perhaps happiness.

In such a time Sourav met Mike Stuart. Mike’s passion was cricket, and profession – psychology. Mike knew that something very heavy was blocking Sourav’s way...which he was not able to remove himself. He needed Mike’s help. One day Mike Stuart told Sourav,

“Enjoy the game of cricket, my dear boy”
Sourav, looked at him surprised. Mike smiled and replied,
“You seem surprised, aren’t you? Look, your talent is beyond all doubts. The wait is only for an opportunity. Remember, to settle all scores when you get that opportunity.”

Sourav, remembered Arun Lal. He had said the same thing.

Interactions with Mike Stuart brought about a sea change in Sourav’s state of mind. He understood that the battle must be won in the mind before it can be won on field. And the key to it is to relax, and not be desperate. Chance will surely come one day, to settle all scores. However it is more important is to enjoy the game, than settle scores. Pressure of expectations, are part and parcel of every sphere of life. But, if one doesn’t enjoy what one is doing, he is surely too burn out.

The change that Mike Stuart could bring about in Sourav can be best explained by another incident in his life.

He was playing club match at Kolkata. Sourav was fielding in the deep. Suddenly someone from the spectator threw an orange at him. The orange hit him and fell on the ground. Sourav was surprised and hurt ... but now he knew how to answer back better!

He juggled the orange with his feet and like a football...lifted it on to his thighs ... then lobbed it up and caught it. He then peeled it, and ate it up! Seeing the Maradona, feat, the gallery burst into applause. This was a different Sourav!

Another two years had passed by. In these two years, Sourav kept on playing domestic matches. Although his performance was not the very best, it was nonetheless respectable. It was 1996, and the selection were about to meet for finalizing the Test Sqaud for England. Sambaran Banerjee, the ex-Bengal Ranji team captain had become the selector of eastern zone by now.

Sambaran Banerjee was determined to put Sourav back in the Test squad. He knew that he would face stiff resistance from Md. Azharuddin. After all Azhar had managed to do away with him 4 years back, and under no circumstances he would accept his resurrection. Sambaran Banerjee did all the necessary ground work. He took the advantage of the quota system of selection. It was simple deal with a majority of the selectors ... you back my candidate and I back yours! Inspite of Azhar’s steep resistance, Sambaran got Sourav in the initial selected list of players.

However, the resistance was not all over. Few people know that he was almost being dropped after his name was initially finalized by the selectors for the trip! There was a dispute among some selectors trying to push a player but there was no vacancy. Some selectors then suggested that Sourav’s name be struck off to accommodate this player. It was then BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya intervened and threatened to adjourn the meeting. The final list of players for the England tour of 1996, had the name – Sourav Chandi Ganguly.