By IANS
Kolkata : Former India captain Sourav Ganguly Thursday said he was looking forward to playing one-day internationals (ODIs) if he is given a chance by the selectors.
“I am looking forward to play in the ODIs again, but it is upon the selectors to choose,” Ganguly said at a function here to confer upon him the young achiever’s award by a chamber of commerce.
Asked if he was laying extra stress on his fitness, Ganguly said: “I have always tried to stay fit and the regime helps me to stay away from injuries.”
Ganguly was conferred the YLF (Young Leaders’ Forum) Outstanding Young Achievers’ Award by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in recognition of his contribution as a young achiever who made a difference to people’s lives.
The award ceremony became a platform for Ganguly to take a dig at his detractors as he felt the nomenclature of the honour recognises him as a ‘young’ person at a time when the youth versus experience debate rages on in the Indian cricket squad.
“The word ‘young’ before the award is very special. I will surely get up tomorrow feeling better,” he said.
“In a country where there is such a huge debate on young (read youth) and experience it feels great to get an award with the word ‘young’ before it,” he said.
In recent times Ganguly has often faced the axe from the Indian team selectors due to their emphasis on newcomers.
In the last series against Australia, Sourav Ganguly was dropped from the ODI side even after a phenomenal comeback in both forms of cricket.
Ganguly said he was looking forward to playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders.
However, he was not all focused on IPL right now and said: “Let the IPL begin first. I am sure I will enjoy my captaincy.”
Speaking about the forthcoming home series against South Africa, Ganguly sounded confident.
He said it would be a good competitive series.
“The fact that South Africans are playing at home could weigh upon the performance,” he said.
Asked to pick the better South African bowlers, he said: “All the bowlers in their side are good. But we have played them before and it should not be difficult.”