Hirwani still smarting over Ganguly's 'breach of trust'

Bhopal, Apr 19 (UNI) Narendra Hirwani may well have hung up his cricketing boots but the former retired leggie is still upset at former India skipper Sourav Ganguly reneging on a ''promise''.

''(The then captain) Ganguly had promised me a Test berth but'' rued the former spinner who broke into the scene claiming a record-equalling 16 wickets in his debut Test against West Indies.

Recalling Australia's tour of the country in 2001, the Indore-based spinner said he was trying to make a comeback but it did not happen in the end.

''Prior to announcement of the team for the first Test, Ganguly assured me that I would play in all three Tests. At that juncture, my performance in first-class matches made me hopeful of a return. The then coach John Wright also spoke of a berth, but it was not to be,'' he told UNI.

''I heard people raised doubts regarding my fitness. Pointing fingers at the fitness of a player, who has 750 first-class wickets to his credit, was nothing but a lame excuse,'' he alleged.

Hirwani is glad that coach Greg Chappell and captain Rahul Dravid are experimenting and providing ample opportunities for the budding talents.

Hirwani described Dravid as a humble cricketer, who is always open to suggestions.

On India's World Cup chances, he said the team was a strong contender with its consistent performance in the one-dayers.

''Virender Sehwag may prove a match-winning player in the World Cup and the team has world-class spinners in Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble,'' he added.

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