Kolkata: Lord's has always been special for Sourav Ganguly: be it his 1996 Test debut or the NatWest Trophy triumph under his leadership. Another feather will be added today when he leads an MCC XI against Pakistan in a Twenty20 match.
As captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, the retired star is very much in sync with the shortest format of the game. Ganguly spoke to Gulf News on the eve of his departure for London. Excerpts:
Gulf News: How does it feel to be the captain of the MCC?
Sourav Ganguly: To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised. John Stephenson, the head of the MCC, called me up and I really didn't expect he would say something like that. It is an honour for me to captain the MCC against Pakistan at Lord's. I am really looking forward to the occasion.
This is the third occasion when you will be representing the MCC after 1998 and 2005.
Yes, the first one was for the Diana Memorial match against a Rest of the World XI while the second one was for tsunami relief against a combined International XI. I played as a member of the team on both the occasions, led by Mike Atherton and Stephen Fleming, respectively. But both matches were of 50 overs while this will be a 20-over affair.
This time, Brian Lara will be your teammate. Any thoughts on that?
Oh, that is great! To have Brian as your teammate is something you should cherish. I really do not know whether he has put on some weight, but a genius like him is always a treat to watch. I'm looking forward to meeting him again.
Lord's again. You must be going down memory lane when you enter there?
Oh yes! Lord's will always remain special. You can never forget the ground you have made your Test debut. Then the NatWest victory and so many things thereafter. The atmosphere, the aura... I'll be so happy to be back there.
Any plans about the match?
You cannot plan for a T20, can you? It's a tough format. I want to stick to the basics and do accordingly with the demand of the situation.
Your take on Pakistan, your opponents.
They are a very good side. A formidable one, I must say, with the stars back in the team.
Shoaib Akhtar, your ex-KKR teammate, is back in the Pakistan team.
Yes, I saw him in the Asia Cup. It's good to see him back in international cricket after so many days. He will be required to go flat for four overs and the format will suit his rhythm.
Have you practised after IPL3?
Not really. So after receiving the call, I rushed to the nets immediately. The responsibility of leading a side like the MCC is there and I had to start preparing, need to be fit. Since I did not train at all after April when the IPL ended, I needed to have the feel of hitting the balls again.
