Javagal Srinath, the former Indian pacer and now an ICC match referee, has brought an old controversy back into the limelight. He believes that discipline and rules are the most important thing, no matter who the player is.
Speaking about a past incident involving Sourav Ganguly, Srinath didn’t hold back.
The former fast bowler has reignited the debate around the famous toss incident from the historic 2001 Eden Gardens Test. During that memorable match between India and Australia, then-captain Sourav Ganguly had made his Australian counterpart, Steve Waugh, wait for a while at the toss. At a recent event in Chennai, Srinath stated clearly that if he had been the match referee, he would have banned Ganguly for a few matches for this act.
What Srinath said about Ganguly’s toss controversy
In Srinath’s own words, “If I were the match referee, I would have banned Sourav for a couple of matches.” Ganguly himself later clarified that the delay was because he couldn’t find his blazer. In cricket history, this move is often seen as a psychological tactic that unsettled Steve Waugh, helping India turn the tables and win the historic 3-Test series 2-1. The actual match referee for that Eden Test was Cammie Smith from the West Indies. Srinath insists that if he were in Smith’s place, he would have given Ganguly a harsh punishment like a ban.
Praise for Captain Sourav
However, alongside this sharp comment, Srinath also had high praise for Ganguly’s leadership. He mentioned that Ganguly had an extraordinary ability to spot and nurture young talent. He gave special credit to Ganguly for bringing players like Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, and Virender Sehwag into the team.
In a casual chat, Srinath also spoke about the match-fixing scandal that had plagued Indian cricket in the late 90s and the team’s subsequent comeback. He said that from 1991 to 1997-98, India’s overseas win record was quite poor. But the picture began to change after 1999. A new determination grew among all the players to play as a unit. As Srinath put it, “Every cricketer was driven by a resolve to restore the game’s reputation and show the world that cricket is clean and above everything else.”
He also recalled the 2003 World Cup final against Australia. Speaking about the team’s decision after winning the toss, Srinath said, “In our team discussions, I had argued for batting first if we won the toss, so we could put a big score on the board and pressure the opposition.” However, Captain Ganguly decided otherwise, and the team followed his call. A powerful Australian side ended up winning that final.
Srinath also shared an example of his own generosity in making way for young talent. Recalling Zaheer Khan’s entry into the national team, he said that after watching Zaheer take 6 wickets for the MRF Pace Foundation against Air India, he recommended his name to the then-national selector, Chandu Borde. When Borde jokingly asked what would happen to Srinath’s own spot if Zaheer came in, Srinath gave a simple reply: “If the boy is good, he will take my place.”
Srinath’s recent comments have once again sparked discussions among cricket fans about the thrilling 2001 Eden Test and Sourav Ganguly’s captaincy era.