QUOTES AND SAYINGS ABOUT SOURAV

The Prince of Calcutta. Two of his special qualities are his intelligence and articulation, both of which have helped him immensely in the world of contemporary cricket. Geoffrey Boycott

Sourav is a great captain and we should be proud of such a leader. Kapil Dev

Sourav’s greatest strength is his mind. He is hardworking - not only in the nets but also mentally. He bounces back. Sachin Tendulkar

On the onside, first there is God, then Sourav Ganguly. Rahul Dravid

We have a young talented side. They have found a good captain in Sourav Ganguly. Indian cricketing legend Mustaq Ali

He is a wonderful batsman and definitely the best captain that India can have. So far he has surpassed my expectations and continues to do so. You rarely come across people like Sourav, he is different, he is special, there can be just one Sourav Ganguly. Indian cricketer Arun Lal

Sourav’s greatest asset is his ability to communicate. He is a naturally very confident person. He encourages his team, is a great motivator and a born captain. He is not the media’s blue eyed boy because he is a very straightforward person, who never minces his words, instead he talks in a no nonsense manner to the press. He shares an extremely healthy rapport with his teammates. His leadership skills are also vouched for by the youngsters in the team. He has phenomenal brand value. He's the new-age Indian, an aggressive go-getter, full of self-belief, determination. Ravi Shashtri

Ever since Sourav became the captain, I do not feel like a youngster in the team any more. Everybody is treated equally and Sourav himself is extremely approachable and a pillar of strength. Sourav stood by me when I was struggling. I owe a great deal to him for standing by me at the most important time. I can't express my gratitude to him in words. Harbhajan Singh

He is the first one to encourage us when we perform well. He is firm but he is fair. He is a very tough and aggressive captain, who is on all accounts, a team man, one who backs his players. Off the field, he is very easy and approachable. He also shows a great interest in all his juniors and their game. When I wasn’t selected for a particular tour of England, Sourav personally called me up and told me how he too had gone through a bad patch and then things had improved for the better, just as they would for me. Deep Dasgupta

The Bengal tiger always has his tail up, ready to devour the opposition. Navjot Singh Sidhu

Sourav is really the best captain India has ever had. Sunil Gavaskar

A great captain who is hungry for success and is also an extremely competitive world class performer. Carl Hooper

His offside has become so strong that unless he commits a mistake on his own, it is absolutely impossible to get him out in that region. A world class batsman, indeed. Heath Streak

His biggest asset is his freakish sense of timing. When playing his big shots, he could be very dangerous. Shaun Pollock

The best thing about him is his ambition and eagerness to learn. He will be remembered in history as one of the all time best left handed batsmen. He is a player right on the lines of Ian Chappell. He is a dare devil, and doesn't care too much about what the world thinks of him. Coach of Bengal, Sambaran Banerjee

He is a brilliant player and definitely a force to reckon with! Wasim Akram

He’s very competitive and knows what he wants. He has developed toughness in character and that is what is needed for Indian cricket. Ganguly has proved to be one of the best captains. He has now acquired great leadership qualities. Steve Waugh

A quality batsman. There are a couple of things I like about his batting. He is right up there on my list, as far as offside play goes. The other thing he excels at is his use of feet to spinners. He keeps his head down, has nice footwork and a lovely long follow-through. I really enjoy it when he comes down the track to spinners. In fact, you can safely bet that it would go for a six. Ian Chappell

Sourav has done an excellent job of balancing his captaincy with his personal game. He looks like he is enjoying being captain. And effectively, he has lightened the burden on Sachin Tendulkar. Dave Whatmore

Sourav’s calm and assured presence sets him apart. His captaincy is of a high order but he bats sensibly and reads situations well. I hope Sourav too becomes a World Cup wining captain. Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar

I am an avid follower of the game and Sourav is one of my favorite players. He is one of the best southpaws and his powerful cover drives are a pleasure to watch. Actor Sunil Shetty

I think he is the best captain we have had in recent times. He is so very competitive and aggressive. And I like it more when he is the ‘bad boy of cricket’ and he gives it back as good as he gets. Actor Vivek Oberoi

Sourav is the number one batsman in the world today! Tennis champion, Leander Paes

Besides football, the only other game I ever took interests in was basketball, but never cricket. Sourav is the sole reason why I am a cricket lover today. He has worked very hard to reach the position he is in today and that makes him really admirable. Best-known footballer and captain of Indian Football team, Baichung Bhutia

Getting married to Sourav was always special. Over the years our relationship has become better and better. Sourav is a nice person, though he is a bit quiet. He is quite caring, possessive, thinks a lot about his cricket and tries to improve. Wife, Dona Ganguly

He was a brilliant student so I thought that since my elder son would become a player, my younger one could become an engineer or doctor. I am so happy that even though Sourav has achieved so much, we as a family are still the same. 1996 or 2007, as a person Sourav has not changed a bit. - Mother, Nirupa Ganguly

He may be a celebrity to the world but we treat Sourav very normally at home. Father, Chandi Ganguly

I captained Sourav in the East Zone. He was a majestic player. I have not seen anybody play a cover drive as well as Sourav. He is very busy, nevertheless, he is so approachable that one will always find the youngsters of the team crowding around him and discussing cricket and swapping strategies. Former domestic cricketer Saba Karim

Whatever be the complex situations, the Indian team under Ganguly has moved to great heights. The fact of the matter is that Ganguly is determined to stay focused. Brett Lee

I have known Ganguly as a quiet lad, who always respected the seniors and lent an ear to any advice that came from them. This was the quality that impressed me most in this determined cricketer and I was not averse to giving him a break as early as possible. Mohammed Azharuddin

Sourav has given them [the Indian team] that confidence and ability to target teams or individuals at key times. John Buchanan, Australian coach

Whatever I have seen of his captaincy, I liked it. Arjuna Ranatunga, former Sri Lankan skipper

Ganguly is a very good leader. His return to the field brings a spring in the steps of the Indians. He is a great player. Ricky Ponting

I respect Sourav Ganguly as a captain, leader, and a good player. Stephen Fleming

Sourav's best quality is that he has the ability to remain unperturbed even when he faces severe criticism. Javagal Srinath

India has some outstanding batsmen and I have always admired Ganguly. Inzaman-Ul-Haq

Ganguly is equally adept in all departments of the game - batting, bowling and fielding. He has improves our position in the world of cricket. Bollywood actor Sunil Dutt

The great thing about Sourav is that he doesn't let any criticism bother him. He is his own man, and an intensely determined one. He always speaks his mind. His batting is a unique mix of touch and power. When he plays those drives, it's all touch, all elegance. Timing is his gift. He has the ability to not only clear the ropes but even the stadium. Against spin, my god, he is really a murderer! One thing I'd love to have from his game is his the ability to clear the ropes. As a captain, he is always encouraging his batsmen, reminding them of past successes. Sourav is among the best one-day players I have seen. VVS Laxman

There is nothing wrong with his captaincy. He has marshalled his troops quite well and moulded the side into a winning outfit in the last few years. Syed Kirmani

Ganguly is the new Steve Waugh of mind games. Ian Healy

I have the highest regard for Sourav as a cricket player — his credentials are impeccable. The comments attributed to Sourav regarding me are part of a misinformed campaign. BCCI Cheif Ranbir Singh Mahendra

Sourav's temperament, passion, aggression and ability to take risks in the role of captain is unmatched. Bollywood actress Mandira Bedi

Sourav is a very positive captain. Whatever his personal form, whatever the media writes about him, he has always been strong, focused and aggressive. Perhaps these are the qualities that make him India's most successful captain. Virender Sehwag

We have had a good working relationship. He has got a tough job. We had different ideas sometimes and we got on pretty well. I have challenged him and he has challenged me. His form has been up and down and that can be tough. I suppose we’ve been lucky. Sourav and I complement each other. We are two different personalities. He is softer than me. I probably spoke my mind in the change rooms in a rougher way than him. Sourav and I formed an odd couple but it seems to have worked. Former Indian coach, John Wright

I've worked with Sourav and I enjoy his company. I found him to be likeable and a very nice fellow. It will be good to renew the acquaintance. Greg Chappell

Sourav Ganguly has been an excellent captain, his record speaks for himself. I found him to be a tough competitor and every Indian should feel proud of Sourav. Former England captain Nasser Hussain

Ganguly has done a lot for Indian cricket, if you see the last five years' figures he has won more matches than any other captain. Laxmipathy Balaji

Sourav has got a huge role to play in Indian cricket and its success. I hope certainly that he gets back in there because he is a hell of a good player and he still has got too much to offer to Indian cricket. Allan Donald

He has got a lot of runs and we have a huge respect for him. Graeme Smith

I have seen Ganguly bat and he can make a difference. – Graeme Pollock

He lends credibility to the batting order. – Gary Kirsten

Sourav has got a huge role to play in Indian cricket and its success. I hope certainly that he gets back in there because he is a hell of a good player and he still has got too much to offer to Indian cricket. - Allan Donald

I’m so looking forward to the 2007 World Cup. I want to see my Ganguly perform. - Actor Paresh Rawal

The Indian team does not need any best wishes — they are going to win anyway. I have been close to Sourav Ganguly, and I hope he does well in the World Cup. - Actor Amitabh Bachchan

Let me be honest to tell you that on the TV screen he looks different. He is a very warm person when you actually meet him. - Mahendra Singh Dhoni

He's the type of bloke you would want to have on your side. When you see an Indian side with Ganguly in the line-up, you know it's game on. You don't have to like or dislike him. You have to respect him. - Steve Waugh

I’ve learnt so much from Sourav. He has played 15 years of cricket. Sitting down with him and getting to know phenomenal. - David Hussey