TV Report

New Delhi, Mar 11: Although speculations were rife that deposed Indian captain Sourav Ganguly would campaign for CPM during the forthcoming West Bengal polls, he made it clear that he would continue to play cricket and campaigning was a complete no-no.

Ganguly won a lot of sympathy in his home state of West Bengal - even gaining support from the West Bengal government, including Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya - and it was expected that he would return the favour by campaigining for the CPI-M.

However, the former captain confirmed, "I will get back into the team by playing domestic cricket."

He also added that he was hoping to find a place in the 2007 World Cup team. "I want to play for the country," he stated.

The southpaw has had a frosty relation with the current Indian coach Greg Chappell and many attributed his ouster from Team India to the new panel of selectors, who have made their disliking for the most successful captain in Indian Test history well known.

When he was dropped for the home series against Sri Lanka, political leaders from West Bengal had even tried to raise the issue in Parliament.

The CPI-M backed Ganguly all through when the Chappell issue erupted.

Even recently, when Chappell made some comments against Ganguly in an interview with a British daily, the CPI-M members had raised the issue in Parliament and demanded an apology from the Australian.

In fact, the Sourav issue might be raked up in the Bengal election campaign as well.

The line to be taken is that an insult to Sourav is an insult of the entire population of the state.

"There are no bowlers against us. Ganguly will bat for us," CPI-M politburo member Sitaram Yechury said.

However CPI-M leaders in West Bengal have dismissed the idea of Ganguly campaingning for them.