No, not again! But it is happening more and more often now to force even the die-hard optimist to think twice. Skipper Saurav Ganguly's woeful lack of form with the bat continues innings after innings. Will he, like the proverbial Phoenix, rise to soar the heights of greatness for posterity?

Even the skipper himself does not seem to have all the answers though a good bit of soul-searching reveals an honest urgency to quell all doubts for ever. Just like his innumerable fans, Ganguly admits that every time he walks up to the crease, he expects to boom those characteristic cover drives and lofted shots over the bowler's head.

"I expect it every time I walk out to bat....I have struggled in the last 5-6 Test innings. I think I should be back as quickly as possible," the skipper says with the desperation in his tone defying the sombre countenance.

Is he trying too hard as was evident when he seemed to go across to that Andy Blignaut delivery which ended his knock in the second innings of the second and final Test before it could even start? In normal circumstances, he could have easily played it down the pitch.

"Yeah, I know. The lack of form doesn't affect the technique but maybe then you try too hard. Then you try to do something extra which you shouldn't be doing. But if you want to play 10-12 years of Test cricket, you got to be strong enough to come out of it."

Blame it on too much one-day cricket? "Yes, we do play too much of instant cricket, that's for sure. And it's really difficult to switch on from one to the other. But we can't help it because that's where the money comes from."

Ganguly believes a rotation policy on the lines of the Australian cricket team could help reduce burden on the players. "I believe a rotation policy could be a solution. Not because it is a busy season. It is because we should have 16-17 guys ready for the 2003 World Cup. They could only be confident if they perform in the centre."

To prove his point, Ganguly gives a reasoning. "I will give you an example. In one-day cricket, the top four get an opportunity to bat most. Those who come at number five, six or seven usually get the last three-four overs and sacrifice their wickets in order to score quick runs. After it has happened in a few games, suddenly in one big game the top three fail and they find themselves out in the middle.

"One good ball and the player is out. Then he realises he has done nothing in the last five games. Now if there is a rotational policy, he might come to bat up in a few games, score a 80 or a hundred and next time he is in a crunch situation, he would have the confidence. I think we should have this policy and we would go for it."

It is said often that though India has brilliant individual players they fail to win crunch matches as a team. "Believe me, honestly, we don't want to finish our career when people say we were good players but we couldn't win as a team. Previously we couldn't win crunch games as we did not have good bowling. But now we have a fairly good attack."

The attack has undoubtedly improved but there must be some reason why our bowlers are not able to pitch it up. Is it because of an inherent style or lack of strong shoulders? "I would not say so about Ashish (Nehra). He bowled superbly without giving Andy Flower any width. Probably Srinath could do a bit but that has been his tendency right through his career. I think we got to work on it.

"If you watch Streak and Blignaut, they are probably not the best bowlers in the world. But they boweld to a fantastic line and length. We probably have to do it as quickly as possible." The captain may have high regard for Nehra but the left-arm seamer fron Delhi saw himself out of the triangular one-day series despite an impressive show on the fast and bouncy tracks of Zimbabwe.

It was only after tremendous pressure from the team management that the selectors decided to retain him for the tri-series. Such instances are normal in the career of an Indian captain who has to be content with a team not always of his choice. But Ganguly plays it down diplomatically.

"I won't say every time I didn't get the team I want. There have been instances when I haven't got the player I wanted but that's going to happen. Six or seven people sit together and everyone has an opinion. Some opinions might differ."

"At the end of the day, the selectors are the best judges. We are there to give suggestions. Honestly, I will tell you in all my one and a half years, about 75 per cent of the time, I have got the team I wanted."

One of the ways to counter the whims and fancies of selectors is to introduce a contract system and Ganguly supports the idea whole- heartedly. "We favour it. As cricketers we need security. It is with any individual, whether you play cricket or you have a job or you do a business of your own, you got to be secure in life. I should get up in the morning and realise my life is secure. It is true with any individual. We have already given our opinion to the Board."

A contract system would also ensure that cricketers play for the team rather than for themselves to secure their place in the squad, feels the skipper.

Ganguly, who found himself at the receiving end of fierce criticism, often bordering on personal, during the entire Australian series, feels that while writing about matches, a journalist should concentrate only on the game.

Taking a dig at newspapers which invite foreigners to write columns for them, Ganguly says, "I think we have guys who watch cricket, who have played cricket, who can write and who can sell in India. Don't tell me somebody like (Sunil) Gavaskar, (Dilip) Vengsarkar or Kapil Dev will not sell as much as an X, Y or Z".

Ganguly also rubbishes similar innuendoes hurled at his married life. "There have been really a lot of rumours in the magazines which was really, really sad and disappointing. It was all rubbish. I am very, very happily married and me and my wife are still together. We have got a lovely life. These things have never bothered me because you write anything you want but as long as my wife and I are happy, it doesn't matter."

© PTI