Sourav Ganguly Won My Heart In Just 40 Minutes - Saqlain Mushtaq

Arguably, the former skipper of India Sourav Ganguly is one of the most respected personalities in world cricket. The flamboyant batsman might be a straightforward captain, but, he still managed to win hearts of fellow cricketers with whom he played during his times. One of those star cricketers was former Pakistan cricketer Saqlain Mushtaq, who showered words of praise on the current BCCI President, Sourav Ganguly.

Gone are those days when India and Pakistan were involved in fierce battles on the field. The players of either team used to give their best on the ground to win it for their respective countries. A lot of controversies and fights happened between the players on the field and sometimes, off the field as well. However, Sourav Ganguly – a pure gentleman off the ground, visited Saqlain Mushtaq when the duo was playing for their respective county sides.

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Sourav Ganguly offered me a cup of coffee – Saqlain Mushtaq

Sharing an incident, Saqlain Mushtaq explained saying that Ganguly met him as soon as he saw him from the balcony at Sussex. Meeting him, Sourav Ganguly offered Mushtaq a cup of coffee and inquired about his recovery after being bed-ridden for almost 8-9 months at the peak of his career. The meeting with Ganguly left a strong impression in Saqlain Mushtaq’s heart.

“When India was touring England, I was playing for Sussex. They had a three-day practice match in Sussex and Sourav (Ganguly) was not playing that match. Sussex won the toss and decided to bat,” Saqlain said in a video on Youtube. “I think this had happened in 2005-06. I had undergone surgery on both knees and was bed-ridden for 36-37 weeks. I was both down and depressed.

“I was making a comeback in that post-surgery period, and Sourav had come to watch that match. When Sussex was batting, Sourav had seen me from the balcony. I did not see him because our dressing room was facing the other direction. Ganguly then came to our dressing room and offered me a cup of coffee and enquired about my knees, life, family. Then we just started talking. He sat with me for 40 minutes and ended up winning my heart.”

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On the work front, both are pretty busy with their jobs for the growth of cricket in India and Pakistan, respectively. Recently, Sourav Ganguly took charge as the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). At the same time, Saqlain Mushtaq was appointed as the Spin consultant for the Pakistan team, across all the age groups, including National Team.