For shame, Mr Bedi

I have always been a fan of Bishan Bedi, but I have reason to believe that he has been speaking through his turban (Broadside, March 2002).

Sourav Ganguly is not the singularly unsuccessful leader Bedi makes him out to be. His captaincy record in Tests (nine Won, five lost, three drawn) is better than those of most former captain; better by far than MAK pataudi – regarded as india’s best captain of all time – who lost 19 Tests and won nine, and even Bedi, who won six and lost 11.

Ganguly has scored over 3000 Test runs at an average of more than 40.His one-day record is surpassed by few. He has won us matches in Zimbabwe, where we had not won before, and in Sri Lanka, in the absence of the likes of Sachin, Laxman, Srinath and kumble. As far as his lean patch as a batsman is concerned, I think his bat has done the talking in the recent one-dayers against England and the Tests against Zimbabwe.

It is depressing to note that Bishan Bedi, who was himself a victim of racism in cricket, has played into the hands of the white brigade who have found pleasure in deriding Muttiah Muralitharan. The ICC is the right forum to decide whether Murali’s action is legal or not. People like Bedi are only losing their own reputations by raising doubts where none should exist. If Bedi believes that there is something wrong with the working of the ICC, he should take steps to reform that process. Does one see a plot in this attempt to discredit Murali when he is on the verge of crossing shane warne as the most successful spinner in Test Cricket?