Kapil slams Kolkatans

Cricket legend Kapil Dev slammed Kolkatans for protesting against the non-inclusion of Sourav Ganguly in the national squad, asking them to put country before State.

The former India all-rounder's comments came earlier on Wednesday, before the selectors picked Ganguly for the first Test against Sri Lanka next month.

The Bengal cricketer, however, did not find a place in the one-day squad for the last two matches against the South Africans.

"Why did you not protest about (Anil) Kumble [who was excluded from the one-day squad] not playing ? Don't you feel bad? It's the same thing.

"The time Kolkata people feel bad about Anil Kumble, then I will feel bad about him [Ganguly's exclusion]. When they feel bad about (V V S) Laxman, then I will feel about Sourav Ganguly," he said, in response to a question at an interaction in Bangalore, arranged by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare.

"Because India comes first, then the State; You cannot think about your State and not think about your country. Country is much more bigger," Kapil said.

Film personalities from Kolkata on Tuesday joined the chorus of protests over Ganguly being kept out of the national squad, as demonstrators conducted signature campaigns and tore tickets of Friday's India-South Africa one-day match.

Asked if Ganguly's cricketing career is over, Kapil said it all depends on his determination.

"If he is determined, I don't think his career is over; but if he thinks that he had enough, then it's over any day.

"Ganguly is very stubborn and very confident about himself," Kapil said, adding, he wished that the Bengal cricketer bounces back.

"I hope he will work harder.

"A cricketer, who has scored 10,000 runs, has done a fabulous job for himself and the country," the former India captain said.

Kapil also had a different view on Ganguly losing the captaincy to Dravid.

"Sourav Ganguly got injured a few times. So, sometimes, you know you get injured at a wrong time. Another person takes the seat. It happens in politics. It happens in every part of life. So, when someone is out, he is totally out; does not come back," the former all-rounder added.

Kapil rubbished the concept of naming a captain for a series or a certain number of one-dayers, saying appointing the skipper till the selectors decide to sack him is the right way forward.

He argued that naming somebody as captain for a series or certain number of one-dayers "is a wrong way, horrible thing and painful".

"It's like putting a sword on his [captain's] neck."

Appointing an Indian skipper till he is replaced does a world of good for a captain's confidence, he said.

Kapil said it's too early to judge Rahul Dravid's performance as captain or Greg Chappell's as coach.

"One needs to give them time and their performance can be judged after a few series," he added.