New Delhi: Sourav Ganguly's decision to retire from international cricket on Tuesday was hailed by former teammate and ICC match referee Javagal Srinath, who said he made the right choice of going out on a high.
"I'm quite surprised. But at the same time, I think it's a good decision by Ganguly. He has been under scrutiny for quite some time, people have started doubting his capabilities. He has done wonderfully well for the country. So a dignified exit was imperative on his behalf," Srinath told CNN-IBN on Tuesday. Continue reading below
"There could be no better decision than this. At the same time, I was pretty disappointed when he was ignored by the selectors (for the Irani Trophy). There should have been a better prepared exit from this game. Nevertheless, he has got this opportunity to speak to the selectors. I would be very pleased for Ganguly if he can really make a difference in this series and leave on a high note," Srinath added.
Srinath said Ganguly was instrumental in shaping a lot of careers of some of the younger generation of Indian cricketers, and saluted his leadership.
"He has played cricket successfully, he has led the side successfully; 12 years of an illustrious career. He had a huge impact on some of the players, he created Yuvraj, had a great influence on Harbhajan Singh's career. Arguably he is one of the best captains we have had so far. He proved himself beyond anybody's doubt," he said.
Former captain Ganguly's counterpart Inzamam-ul-Haq was quite shocked at his decision to retire, saying he had more cricket left in him.
"He could have played for more time. He showed tremendous mental toughness by making a comeback. I think he could have played for longer. If he has taken this decision then there should be some problem attributed to this," Inzamam said.
The former Pakistan captain added that Ganguly was responsible for creating a new, aggressive image of Indian cricket.
"It was Ganguly who instilled this no-fear attitude in Indian cricket, which has seen the team scale new heights," he added.
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