asim kamal given pep talk by ganguly

[coolgangsta]

That will really finish kamal off!

Unlucky Asim Kamal given

pep-talk by Sourav Ganguly

From our correspondent

LAHORE: Pakistan’s unlucky middle-order batsman Asim Kamal was given a pep-talk by none other than former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly on Monday although he himself is facing an uncertain future with the Indian team.

According to eyewitness accounts after the three-day tour match ended, Asim spent half an hour with Ganguly discussing cricketing issues with him and was told by the Indian batsman that he should not be disheartened at being dropped for the first Test.

"Ganguly told him (Asim) that every player faced such periods in life and tended to get frustrated and lose focus. But a good and sensible player always put such disappointments behind him and looked ahead," the eyewitness said.

"Ganguly also pointed out to Asim that he himself was unaware of why the selectors had dropped him despite his track record. He said such things happened and since Asim had proven himself at the Test level he should simply look ahead and concentrate on scoring runs at every level."

Ganguly’s selection for the first Test also appears to have become a dilemma in the touring Indian camp and sources said the Indian think tank was to start discussing the team for the first Test from Monday night with a final decision yet to be taken on how to deal with Ganguly.

"Ganguly is such a senior player it is not easy to tell him you are not playing and make him sit on the bench. Even coach Greg Chappell has apparently left it to the senior players to discuss and first decide themselves if Ganguly should be played in the Test from January 13," the source said.

The eyewitness said Asim had been told by Ganguly to not let developments outside the ground disturb him and just think positive and look ahead. Asim was on Monday once again made a scapegoat by the Pakistani selectors and team management despite the fact that he is a proven performer at the Test level with 717 runs in 20 Test innings at an healthy average of 37.73 with eight half-centuries.

On what grounds the selectors and team management have axed him for the first Test against India defies logic since particularly against India he has an impressive track record with scores of 73, 21, 60 not out, 91, 48, 6, 50 and 4, with most of these innings coming under pressure situations.

Understandably, according to the eyewitness, even some of the Indian players were surprised to learn that Asim was not in the team with Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan and Yuvraj Singh saying better luck next time to him.