Dungarpur does a turnaround

Barely hours after making a scathing attack on Sourav Ganguly by describing him as the "laziest and possibly the worst fielder", the manager of the touring Indian team Raj Singh Dungarpur on Saturday sought to control the damage, saying the former captain is a "tremendous batsman" and his experience would help the team during the series against Pakistan.

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Apparently aware that his stinging remarks against Ganguly last night could have serious repercussions ahead of the crucial series, Dungarpur spoke highly of the left-hander and sought to put the lid on the controversy.

"Sourav is a tremendous batsman and his off-side play is simply great. His vast experience should help the Indian team in the series against Pakistan," he told reporters at the picturesque Bagh-E-Jinnah ground in Lahore where the visitors are playing their only warm-up game before the Test series.

Dungarpur, perceived to be against Ganguly during the time of the acrimonious BCCI elections, got angry when one television scribe asked him whether he had changed his opinion of the former India captain after having made the disparaging remarks to a television channel on Friday.

"My integrity to Indian cricket has never been questioned in the 30-year-long association I have had as an administrator. Ask any of these journalists who know me," he fumed at the scribe.

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"If someone known to me comes and asks some questions I might have said something in private, but to show it on TV seems like the instructions have come from Eden Gardens [headquarters of Cricket Association of Bengal President Jagmohan Dalmiya]," he said.

In the controversial television comments last night, Dungarpur had called Ganguly as one of the laziest cricketers and even claimed that former coach John Wright did not want him as captain but could not get him removed.

"Sourav is not a student of the game. He is also not a role model of a captain. A captain cannot be the laziest and possibly the worst fielder of the side", Dungarpur had said.

The former BCCI chief said Wright had "expressed his frustrations several times" to him about Ganguly but he was too "mild" to succeed in getting Ganguly out.

Ganguly and three other players, including vice-captain Virender Sehwag, Anil Kumble and Parthiv Patel, are slated to join the team later today in Lahore after playing in the sixth round Ranji Trophy league ties at home.

Dungarpur said the Indian team is a happy unit and credit needs to be given to team captain Rahul Dravid and coach Greg Chappell, besides the mentoring role being adopted by Sachin Tendulkar in moulding the outfit.

"It's going to be a tremendous series between India and Pakistan, but I suspect the batsmen from both sides would dominate the show and I'm speaking from a bowler's heart," he added.