Sourav has always been destiny’s step child. As his legendary skills, his bad luck has also been way apart from the rest. The series of malicious propaganda and controversies which a 19 year old budding talent had to endure was never heard in Indian cricket before, and shall possibly be never heard again.
In the words of Sourav, “The controversies which arose during my Australia tour had left me completely shattered. It was told that I had reminded the team management that my nickname is Maharaj, and that I won’t bring water and towel to the field (as a 12th man), since such work is done by Ramu servant at my home. I belong to a good family, and it was extremely difficult for me to withstand such things..”
Some of the major controversies which had hit headlines during that time were:
1. Sourav’s attitude was like that of a Maharaj. He doesn’t want to practice, nor was he interested in carrying his own Kits Bag.
2. One day, when Sourav was looking for someone to carry his Kits Bag, a frustrated Kapil Dev carried his bag to the team bus
3. He refused to bring water and towel to the field as a 12th Man.
These rumours spread like wild fire. They were reported in all leading newspapers across India, including Kolkata. Sourav did not find any support from anywhere, not even in his home state. People and media believed the propaganda, not contesting or disputing for a moment, that it was the same Sourav who toured England with Kailash Ghatani, and no one complained of his attitude before. No one suggested that all these were perhaps master minded by one of the most crooked minds Indian cricket, who had put the cricket to shame through his nexus with Bookies and betting – Mohammed Azharuddin.
A 19 year old, who had just started his international career with big dreams and promise, was thrown out, denied of a fair chance, humiliated and maligned. At 19 years of age, when you and me, was perhaps in the first year of our college life, another promising teenager was subjected to acute stress and humiliation, malign and slander from all quarters, and even his home crowd.
There is an old saying in Russian that one has to pass through fire to become steel. The fire of humiliation, and agony which had burnt Sourav for four years, from 1992-96, is what made him what he is – A phoenix who can rise from ashes, again and again and again!
In the words of Sourav, “The controversies which arose during my Australia tour had left me completely shattered. It was told that I had reminded the team management that my nickname is Maharaj, and that I won’t bring water and towel to the field (as a 12th man), since such work is done by Ramu servant at my home. I belong to a good family, and it was extremely difficult for me to withstand such things..”
Some of the major controversies which had hit headlines during that time were:
1. Sourav’s attitude was like that of a Maharaj. He doesn’t want to practice, nor was he interested in carrying his own Kits Bag.
2. One day, when Sourav was looking for someone to carry his Kits Bag, a frustrated Kapil Dev carried his bag to the team bus
3. He refused to bring water and towel to the field as a 12th Man.
These rumours spread like wild fire. They were reported in all leading newspapers across India, including Kolkata. Sourav did not find any support from anywhere, not even in his home state. People and media believed the propaganda, not contesting or disputing for a moment, that it was the same Sourav who toured England with Kailash Ghatani, and no one complained of his attitude before. No one suggested that all these were perhaps master minded by one of the most crooked minds Indian cricket, who had put the cricket to shame through his nexus with Bookies and betting – Mohammed Azharuddin.
A 19 year old, who had just started his international career with big dreams and promise, was thrown out, denied of a fair chance, humiliated and maligned. At 19 years of age, when you and me, was perhaps in the first year of our college life, another promising teenager was subjected to acute stress and humiliation, malign and slander from all quarters, and even his home crowd.
There is an old saying in Russian that one has to pass through fire to become steel. The fire of humiliation, and agony which had burnt Sourav for four years, from 1992-96, is what made him what he is – A phoenix who can rise from ashes, again and again and again!
