‘I would have banned Ganguly’: Srinath on Waugh’s wait during '01 Eden Test toss
Javagal Srinath expressed that he might have imposed a ban on Sourav Ganguly for his delay in tossing the coin, though he acknowledged Ganguly's exceptional leadership and his ability to foster new talent. The landscape of Indian cricket saw immense transformation following the match-fixing scandal in the late 1990s, with players united in their commitment to rehabilitating the sport's reputation.
Srinath, recalling the 2001 Eden Gardens Test match, stated that if he had been the match referee and faced Ganguly keeping Steve Waugh waiting, he would have banned the Indian captain for a few matches. The incident, later seen as gamesmanship, rattled Waugh and the Australian team during the series India won 2-1. Srinath praised Ganguly's leadership and the resoluteness of Indian players to restore cricket's image after the match-fixing scandal of the late 1990s.
In 2003, when discussing the World Cup final against Australia, Srinath wished India to bat first, but Ganguly had a different opinion. Despite the team's strength, Australia proved too powerful. Srinath also recommended Zaheer to selector Chandu Borde after watching him take six wickets against Air India.
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