Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly said that former India coach John Wright was more of a friend than a coach.
In a video posted on the official Twitter handle of the Cricket World Cup, Ganguly and Wright – part of the commentary team – went down memory lane ahead of washout game between India and New Zealand at Trent Bridge Friday.
Ganguly revealed his reaction after he came to know that Wright had been appointed for the role of Indian coach.
“I met him first time in Kent, when Rahul (Dravid) came in and said he’s our coach. I said, ‘I’d love to work with him’. We have a great relationship, we’re genuine friends,” said Ganguly.
“We had gone to New Zealand and had got thrashed by a club team before the World Cup. But we went on to have a great campaign, and he was responsible for it,” he added.
Wright, 64, India’s first foreign coach for five years from 2000 to 2005, said, “I always thought it was the greatest privilege to have the opportunity to work in India.
“I never expected it. It was a hard start, for both of us. You were a new captain and I was the foreign coach. You remember the good times,” he added.
Under the captaincy of Saurav Ganguly, India went on to register some of the most famous wins of Indian cricket. It was under the leadership of Dada that India won the unforgettable 2002 NatWest series final against England at Lord’s.
Ganguly also took India to the finals of the 2003 World Cup where they lost to Australia.