This just isn't cricinfo

An open letter to cricinfo...

Regarding "The season of discontent" article by Anand Vasu on 16.09.2005

First of all, why are the links to this article and to the one in which you report Ganguly's statement before the actual scorecard of the match? (they have changed it since then, but I'm sure many of you saw it)

Why is the heading of that section not about the match but about Ganguly's statement ? I thought the headlines were always about what's happening in the match ? (also changed since then, but hope some readers here are aware what I'm talking about)

Is it that cricinfo has decided that a test match involving Zimbabwe is not worth reporting in the normal template ? Because this is not the first time some 'news' has broken in the middle of a match, but this is the first time I see cricinfo adopting this trend of reporting.

Then, lets look at the article itself. First statement is : "He put a century on the board - a painstaking and joyless one - against the worst bowling attack in the world, in perfect batting conditions,.." - Well, wasn't it Dileep Premchandran declaring here in cricinfo yesterday that VVS Laxman has turned a corner with a century against the same opposition? VVS' century was more chancy than Ganguly's, even if faster(this is test cricket, on day 3, why do you need a Yuvraj like Harakiri?)

Then further the statement says: "and chose to make a statement that will rock the very foundations on which spirit and togetherness are built in a team of sportsmen..."- Are you sure this statement from Ganguly will rock the Indian team? Even if things are as horribly wrong as you would like us to believe, they are not wrong 'because' of this statement, they were 'already' wrong. So the team was already 'rocking'...public statement or not. Indian team does not build or breakup because of public statements, I suppose.

Then further going on " Even by his standards, though, this latest outburst is startling..." - Did any of your staff actually watch the interview in question ? Do you know what an outburst is? Or are you counting on the fact that majority of you readers are not watching things live on tv, and will take your word for it. You make it sound like Ganguly called a Press Conference to announce, just after his century, that he was asked to step down. If you didn't want to make it appear so, to the readers, then please work on your writing style. Because this is the impression it gives.

Further going on "Repeated attempts to contact Ganguly in Zimbabwe for a clarification failed, but one can only go by what is out there, in the absence of anything to the contrary..." - And what is out there? Except for what they are speaking out, isn't all of this speculation? Do you have even an 'inside source' which is telling you what is 'out there' ?

Further on "What's most worrying is the timing of Ganguly's statements. If indeed he was asked to step down - by a person or persons he refuses to name - before the start of the game, why did he wait till the third day to go public..." - You are again making it sound like he called up a press conf after the century to announce this thing. He was part of post match comments(like VVS was on previous day) and was also called by the tv team for an interview. Did anyone ASK him on day one about the captaincy thing, the way Harsha asked him in this interview?? Ganguly did not bring out this topic himself, and you know it. Why not report it as it happened? Why paint your favourite picture out of it?

"Prince of Calcutta, we've come to expect more of you. Don't sell yourself so short..." - Well, cricinfo, we have come to expect more of you too. Don't go the way of those innumerable Indian 'sports' website. Maintain your standards, and your 'global' perspective. Don't stoop to the level of Indian sports reporting, which often plays to the Indian galleries.