India sweat over Ganguly question

Sourav Ganguly may yet make the journey to Pakistan. Hectic backroom parleys on Friday could secure a berth for him as the 16th member of the Test team for the tour starting on Januray 6. The five-member national selection committee will meet on Saturday to pick the team.

"Moves are afoot to give Ganguly a chance to leave in style," a BCCI source told Cricinfo. While selectors were unavailable for comment, sources in Kolkata said that Ganguly was "happy" to open the batting, and that this is a role he may have to perform in Pakistan if he were picked to play.

Ganguly had made way for Wasim Jaffer, the Mumbai opener who is currently on a hot streak, after the Delhi Test against Sri Lanka where he scored 39 and 40. The reasoning advanced by the selectors was that Yuvraj Singh, who scored 77 in the second innings, could not be kept out of the team and it that it would be improper to have Ganguly in squad but on the bench. Also, by picking Jaffer, the selectors were providing cover for Gautam Gambhir, who had failed in the series against Sri Lanka.

Though the situation hasn't changed in terms of cricket, Ganguly's ouster was met with uproar in many parts of the country, most notably from West Bengal, his home state, and the matter made it to the Parliament where MPs from Bengal demamded an explanation from Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president who happens to be the union agriculture minister.

Ganguly himself met Pawar in New Delhi earlier this week to "explain his position" and "clear certain misunderstandings".