Sourav Ganguly said on Sunday he may not last long as Indian captain despite his team’s successful run in the World Cup. ”I’ve been captain for three years and I’ve grown old, lost hair and greyed,” he told the BBC.
”I don’t think it’s a job you can do for long. Every job has a time frame, especially captain of India.”
India survived a shaky start to win eight of their nine matches and qualify for the semi-finals where they take on Kenya at Durban on Thursday.
It’s widely expected that India will make the final and bid for their second World Cup title after Kapil Dev’s team won it in 1983. ”I’ve been all around the world and my life’s dream is to be in a World Cup final,” he said.
”Qualifying for the semi-finals has brought me and the whole team one step closer and it’s a huge honour. Getting into the final would be a huge, huge thing. But I don’t want to dream because we have not yet achieved it and I don’t want to get disappointed.”
Ganguly (29) said he had vivid memories of the street celebrations which followed India’s previous World Cup triumph 20 years ago.
He expected the same to happen again if his team won the title although the celebrations began at home when India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan in the first round on March 1.
”I believe a couple of thousand people gathered outside my house in Calcutta after the Pakistan game and they wanted my dad to treat them to sweets,” Ganguly said.
”My daughter was pretty amazed because they were chanting my name and congratulating the team as she was up on the balcony.
”Every time I call her on the phone she just keeps shouting ‘Sourav, Sourav’ and I have to keep reminding her that she should call me Dad.
”If we don’t qualify for the final it will be a big disappointment for me.” – Sapa-AFP