'One More Chance'

Former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram backed SauravGanguly and advised Indian cricket selectors to be "extremely careful"before sealing the fate of the embattled captain.

"There is no doubt that Saurav Ganguly is passingthrough the worst batting form which leaves his career in doldrums. I also fearthat his career might be reaching a dead-end but I would still back him andadvice the Indian selectors to be extremely careful and watchful while decidinghis future," Akram said.

"If I were a selector, I would have definitelygiven him one more chance before really thinking about his future as an Indiancricketer," he added.

Ganguly has scored 9,945 runs, including 22 centuries,in 270 one-day internationals and 4,949 runs at an average of about 41 in 82Tests.

But in the recent three-match Test series againstPakistan, the Indian skipper scored only 48 runs in six innings while his ODIscores were 0, 9, 4 and 18 before he was slapped with a six-match ODI ban by ICCmatch referee Chris Broad for India's slow-over-rate at Ahmedabad.

"Naturally, we didn't see the same aggressive andattacking Saurav we are used to watching. To add insult to injury, India drewthe Test series and then also lost the one-day series to Pakistan, that meantknives were out for him ", the 39-year-old Akram, who played 104 Tests and356 ODIs for Pakistan during his illustrious career, said.

Akram said such lean patches were part of the game and came in every cricketer'scareer.

"We have to realise that all top batsmen passthrough a period where the ball does not make any contact with the bat. It hashappened to the best before and it will happen to the best in days to come. Itis inevitable," he said.

The former Pakistani captain said Ganguly was among thebest products of Indian cricket and one should be cautious before passing anyjudgement on him.

"Saurav has been a great servant of Indian cricketand his contribution in the last five years cannot bedenied. Everyone will have to see Saurav's career in 360 degrees before thejudgement on his career is passed.

"It is going to be one hell of a decision becauseSaurav is definitely one of the best Indian cricket has produced," Akram,who took 414 Tests and 502 one-day wickets, said.

Akram also believed that the absence of Ganguly's magicin the last two games was one of the several reasons behind India's loss in theone-day series.

"Pakistan was a fitter and younger side. But Indiamissed Saurav because he is a true leader who has matured nicely as a captain.When the chips are down, everyone looks at the captain to lift them and Sauravhas that magic," he said.

"Saurav, I think, should get his mind away fromcricket for the time being, take a breather and come back with a bang. He shouldtake this as a challenge," Akram said.

He praised the young and confident Pakistan team for its performance in theseries against India and predicted a bright future for it.

"I always backed them and I am so happy forInzamam-ul Haq and his team because now I see that Pakistan cricket will be on arise from here," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator specially appreciatedthe team for handling the pressure well despite being the underdogs.

"I think the difference between the two teams wasfitness. The other crucial factor was the pressure and I think the Pakistanishandled that extremely well while the Indian team could not tackle the homepressure.

"After the Mohali Test, I could see the Pakistanistargeting for the kill while the Indians were just trying to survive and hang inthere. They (Indians) won in Kolkata but I think Pakistan was a better team.Whenthey got the win at Bangalore, it was the start of a historic tour for a youngPakistan team," Akram, who captained Pakistan on the successful 1999 tour,said.

Akram, who was also a member of the 1987 team underImran Khan that won the Test series 1-0 and the ODI series 5-1, said "I wasparticularly pleased with the way Inzamam handled the team. It's not easy whenyou have a young bunch of players at your disposal and you are playing in thebackyard of your traditional rivals.

"But Inzamam proved that he is not only a greatbatsman but is also maturing fast as a captain. The way the team responded tohim shows the respect and command he enjoys," he said.

PTI