Former India fast bowler Javagal Srinath has revealed that Sourav Ganguly could have faced a suspension had he been the match referee when the India captain famously kept Steve Waugh waiting at the toss during the iconic 2001 Eden Gardens Test.
Ganguly later explained that he was delayed because he could not find his blazer, but Srinath believes the incident crossed the line from gamesmanship into something punishable.
'I would have banned Sourav Ganguly for a few games'
Speaking at an event in Chennai, Srinath joked about the famous incident involving Ganguly and Waugh.
"I would have banned Sourav for a few games. "
The delayed toss became one of the memorable episodes of India's historic 2-1 Test series victory over Australia. Waugh's team had arrived in India as one of the world's dominant sides,
but the hosts produced one of the greatest comebacks in Test history after being forced to follow on in Kolkata.
Srinath credits Sourav Ganguly for transforming Indian cricket
Despite his tongue-in-cheek criticism of the toss incident, Srinath was full of praise for Ganguly's leadership.
He highlighted the former captain's ability to back and develop young players, particularly **Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Virender Sehwag**, who became important figures in Indian cricket's next generation.
Srinath also believes the period following the match-fixing scandal of the late 1990s helped create a stronger collective resolve within the Indian team.
"There was a bit of a resoluteness in each and every player to really put that image back and then prove to the world that cricket is superior, cricket is clean. "
He said Indian cricket began to change around the turn of the millennium after years of struggling to win consistently overseas.
Srinath wanted India to bat first in 2003 World Cup final
Srinath also looked back on India's 2003 World Cup final against Australia, revealing that he had favoured batting first after discussions within the team.
"I was one of the guys who said we should always bat first and then put them under pressure. "
Ganguly ultimately opted to field after winning the toss. Srinath said that once the decision had been made, the team had to back it and move on, but Australia proved too strong on the day.
Australia posted 359/2 before India were bowled out for 234, denying Ganguly's side the World Cup title.
'If he's good, he replaces me': Srinath on Zaheer
Srinath also recalled his role in recommending a young Zaheer Khan to selector Chandu Borde after watching the left-arm pacer claim six wickets against Air India while representing the MRF Pace Foundation.
When Borde jokingly asked Srinath what would happen to him if Zaheer was selected, the veteran pacer's response reflected his approach to competition:
"If he's good, he replaces me. "
Zaheer would go on to become one of India's most successful left-arm fast bowlers, while Srinath remained one of the central figures in India's pace attack during the 1990s and early 2000s.
