Kolkata, Nov 24 (PTI) Former India captain Sourav Gangulytoday said that he was "desperate" to become the nationalcoach but ended up being an administrator.
"You should do what you can and not thinking about theoutcome. You never know where life goes, you never know wherelife will take you. I went to Australia in 1999, I wasn't eventhe vice-captain. Sachin (Tendulkar) was the captain and inthree months I became the captain of India," he said.
"When I got into administration, I was desperate to bethe coach of the national side. (Jagmohan) Dalmiya called meand said 'why you don't you try for six months'. He passedaway and none was around, so I became the CAB president.
People take 20 years to become president. You have to live forthe day," Ganguly said while speaking at the India TodayConclave East 2017.
He also spoke about his controversial face-off with coachGreg Chappell and why he called it quits.
One of the most successful Indian captains Ganguly wasdropped in January 2006 but made a comeback against SouthAfrica in the Johannesburg Test in December and went on toscore an unbeaten 51.
In the home series against Pakistan in 2007, Gangulynotched up a century and a double hundred before retiringagainst Australia in the Nagpur Test in November 2008.
"As I announced retirement in 2008, Sachin came at lunchand asked me 'why did you take such a decision?' I saidbecause I don't want to play any more. He then said 'this isthe best time to see you play in such flow. Last three yearshad been your best'.
"I retired because at some point you've had enough. Thereason is not because you have had enough of playing the sportbut because you've had enough of getting selected all thetime. I remember those days and think individual sports is alot better when you are not dependent on team."Ganguly said the biggest problem in a team sport is thefact that one gets selected by others, so even if one workswell, he/she may not get a place in the side.
"I often keep telling that Leander (Paes) plays this waybecause he rules his life. On the flip side if you go downladder it is difficult to come back. Being dropped and gettingselected are part and parcel of every sport. Greats like DiegoMaradona, Rahul Dravid all made way for someone else. Theycould have played more," the 45-year-old said.
Terming the Chappell saga as an eye-opener that made hima better person, Ganguly said: "Before that, from 1995-2006,the graph was only up. I never missed a series. I was captainof India for six years. The world was at my feet till 2006.
"Not many captains in the world would go from not beingcaptain to not even being in the side."He also gave example of how current skipper Virat Kohlitreats predecessor Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
"You look at Dhoni. He is not the captain of the team butlook at the way Kohli looks after him and they go about theirjob." PTI SUS TAP CMCM.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.