Retiring Indian star Sourav Ganguly has given his teammates a spray while explaining why he chose to give the game away at the end of this month's Test series against Australia.
An indignant Ganguly explained that his omission from the Rest of India team to contest the Irani Trophy last month was the final straw, but also stated that he was sick of being "humiliated" while lesser players were given opportunities.
"I am bound to feel bad. I had to fight with my heart," he told Bengali daily Ajkal.
"If there is a gun to your head all the time, how long can you bear this? After all, I have played 400 matches for India. I have played badly in only one series. Yet every Tom, Dick and Harry is playing in the team.
"There are players who haven't scored in the last three series for India, even for the last one year.
"There are some who have changed their hairstyle more than they have scored for India."
Ganguly said he would have played on into 2009 if he did not feel he was only able to continue "at the mercy of others".
"How long would I have played? Maybe up to 2009. Maybe seven more Tests. For that I was not prepared to take any more humiliation. I was tired of being humiliated again and again. I don't want to play cricket at the mercy of others."
The seeds for Ganguly's retirement were perhaps sown as early as 2005, when he was dropped first as captain and later as a batsman by then Indian coach Greg Chappell.
Though he was recalled, Ganguly was never again as powerful a figure as he had been prior to the face-off.
But when he was asked which of being dropped by Chappell or missing the Irani Trophy was worse, Ganguly chose the more recent event.
"Definitely the Irani Trophy. I couldn't imagine being dropped for that. That's when I said, not again," he said.
"I thought a lot before reaching this decision. I have also thought about my plans for the next one year. If this (selection) committee had come three years earlier, the situation would have been slightly better for me."
