AFP

Ganguly suspended from bowling in domestic game

Sourav Ganguly courted trouble once more ahead of the upcoming Pakistan tour when he was suspended from bowling in a domestic match on Tuesday

AFP
03-Jan-2006


Irrepressible Ganguly in trouble again ahead of Pakistan tour © Getty Images
Sourav Ganguly courted trouble once more ahead of the upcoming Pakistan tour when he was suspended from bowling in a domestic match on Tuesday.
Krishna Hariharan, the Test umpire, hauled up Ganguly for straying on the danger area of the pitch during his follow-through on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy match between Bengal and Tamil Nadu at the Eden Gardens. Ganguly, who claimed three of the first five Tamil Nadu wickets, was warned twice by Hariharan before being suspended from bowling for the rest of the innings.
Towards the fag end of the day, the former Indian captain received another warning while batting as he returned late to the ground after resumption of play, following a short bad-light induced break.
Ganguly, sacked as India's captain and dropped from the one-day side after a row with Greg Chappell, was a controversial selection for the Pakistan tour starting later this week. Ganguly, 33, played in the first two Tests against Sri Lanka before being dumped again for the third Test, a move that created a public outcry across India. When Ganguly was picked in the 16-man squad for the Pakistan tour, local media speculated that Sharad Pawar, the Indian board president, had forced the selectors to include him in a bid to cool tempers.
Ganguly and three other players, Virender Sehwag, Anil Kumble and Parthiv Patel, were told to delay their departure for Pakistan and ordered to play in the latest round of Ranji Trophy matches which began on Tuesday. The rest of the squad, led by Rahul Dravid, will leave on Thursday for Lahore where they will play a three-day practice match from Saturday. India will play three Tests and five one-day internationals in Pakistan.