The match-fixing scandal remains one of the darkest periods in Indian cricket history, shaking the faith of millions who had long viewed the sport as a symbol of national pride.
While South African captain Hansie Cronje became the central figure in the controversy, Indian stars Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja were also implicated, leaving the reputation of Indian cricket severely damaged. The scars of that era still linger, with fans often quick to suspect foul play whenever unusual incidents occur on the field.
At the turn of the century, Indian cricket was in desperate need of stability and leadership. With Azharuddin banned for life and Jadeja suspended for 5 years, the responsibility of rebuilding the team fell on Sourav Ganguly.
The former
India captain later reflected on how unfamiliar he initially was with the realities of corruption in the sport and how difficult it was to restore trust within the dressing room and among supporters.
“The issues that the Indian team faced just before I became captain — betting, match-fixing — I didn’t even know about these things. I kept asking Sachin [Tendulkar] and Rahul [Dravid] ‘Does it actually happen?’ Has anyone approached you? Because no one had approached me. So, I spoke to Sachin, ‘Tujhe kisi ne puucha?’ He said no. We all used to play both formats — Tests and one-dayers. Asked Anil [Kumble] too, He said ‘No. Nobody asked me’. So, I wasn’t too sure what it even was. That [captaincy] was a job in hand. So, I didn’t have these things in mind,” Sourav Ganguly was quoted as saying on the Raj Shamani podcast.
Sourav Ganguly On Leading India
Ganguly also recalled the nervousness he felt while leading senior players who had once captained him. “I still remember our first match was in Kochi. On the eve of the game, I had to address the team meeting. I told Dona that many of these guys — Azhar, Sachin — had been my captains. How was I supposed to tell them what to do and what not to do? I still remember telling her I would keep the meeting short because the longer it went on, the more I’d have to speak. So we wrapped it up in about 15 minutes and I quickly got a few things across. The next day, we won. In the following match in Jamshedpur, I scored a hundred. Slowly, everything started falling into place,” he added.
