Kolkata: Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Sunday got a backing from former skipper Sourav Ganguly who said the team has to cope up with this transition phase. According to a report in The Indian Express Ganguly said, "It comes in every captain's tenure. MS has to bide his time."
"It's easy to comment from outside. You have to give the newcomers some time to settle down. Hopefully, they will do well in couple of years' time," he said, adding that that it is easy for everyone to criticise a captain. "Captains are always criticised. Even in my time, despite having players' like Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman, the team took time to settle down. You have to be patient," Ganguly, who had taken over the captaincy from Tendulkar in a difficult phase in early 2000, said.
Meanwhile a report in Deccan Chronicle quotes Ganguly saying that Ashok Dinda and Shami Ahmed should be an integral part of India’s 2015 World Cup side. "They (Dinda and Shami) have 200 percent chance looking at the conditions in Australia. It's good for Bengal cricket. I am also confident that Tiwary will get a chance," he said.
Ganguly also said Cheteshwar Pujara would be part of the side soon. "I'm sure he would become a part of the side soon. It's just a matter of time."
According to a report in The Times of India, Ganguly said the responsibility lies with the selectors to make a team with future in mind and added that discarded duo of Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh would get ample opportunities. "The Test side needs Sehwag and Harbhajan will get ample opportunities to get back to form."
Asked whether the ODI team was missing Sachin Tendulkar, Ganguly said, "He was not part of the ODI side for quite a long time and the team is used to playing without him. But it would become difficult without him in the Test side."