One sometimes can't help smiling at the irony of it all. A cricketer whose selection for the 1996 tour of England came under a heavy barrage of criticism is now the captain of the Indian team. And in direct contrast to the personal attacks that featured his selection as a player four years ago, his elevation to the captain's slot has been welcomed with undisguised enthusiasm.

Sourav Chandidas Ganguly has seen it all in his brief career so far. The ups and down and the highs and lows. From unfair, unwarranted, even personal crticism to the kind of praise that has sometimes not even been accorded to Sachin Tendulkar, the 28-year-old Bengal captain has experienced everything. He has taken up the challenges of batting in a manner in which few Indian players have. He has handled the high expectations of a cricket crazy nation in an exemplary fashion. Now comes his greatest challenge. And given his upper class background, his vast experience and his level headed temparament, one can already see him make a success of the most important, if demanding, job in Indian sport.

A teenage prodigy, Ganguly was pitchforked into the international arena when he was plainly not ready for the big stage. Picked for the 1991-92 tour of Australia at 19, Ganguly had an indifferent tour and was promptly forgotten. India played various Test series at home and abroad and numerous one day tournaments over a four year period but Ganguly was never considered good enough to warrant a comeback.

So when he was suddenly recalled for the tour of England in 1996, all hell broke loose. Few players in Indian cricket history would have faced the level of criticism hurled at Ganguly. Every kind of charges was made, all kinds of innuendos were suggested. Allegations from ``he bought his way into the team'' to ``he has made it on the quota system'' must have hurt considerably. But Ganguly kept his nerve. Not once did he enter into any debate regarding his selection, fully aware that it would be a pointless exercise anyway. He decided to hit back at his critics the only way he knew best - to let his batting do the talking.

And as everyone knows, that is exactly what he did. Performing the kind of feats that a schoolboy sees in his best dreams, Ganguly started off with a century on debut at Lord's and for good measure added another one in the following Test. What was particularly impressive was his reaction following the two hundreds. Not for him was there any excessive or dramatic outburst against his detractors. Even when he would have been justified to let fly at them, he remained level headed. The whole episode brought out not only the maturity in Ganguly, the cricketer but in Ganguly, the man.

Since then he has been an integral part of the team. First as a dashing batsman who over the years has now a serious claim to being the finest left hander produced by the country. Then as a senior member of the side. Then as a stop gap captain in the absence of Tendulkar, very much like another Bengali who was a stand-in captain 41 years ago - Pankaj Roy at Lord's in 1959. And now finally as leader in his own right. Predictably enough, the reaction from Calcutta has been particularly ecstatic. But one is sure that the reaction all over the country is just about the same.

However, it would be a mistake to expect results overnight. Indian cricket is too far down in the doldrums for miracles to happen. The way to the top is through hard work, determination and commitment. As a captain, Ganguly is already taken to be good at man management. As a motivator, he is a figure who inspires his team mates by leading from the front. His cricketing skills and background are unimpeachable. But the right atmosphere should be created for him to function freely. He should also be given time to implement his ideas. If this is done, one is sure Ganguly has it in him to become a successful, long term captain.

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