When Pervez Musharraf Firmly Said No To Sourav Ganguly's Midnight 'Adventures' In Pakistan
Sourav Ganguly, the captain of the Indian side that toured Pakistan in 2004, recollected an interesting incident involving Musharraf in his autobiography "A Century Is Not Enough."
Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf passed away at the American Hospital in UAE on Sunday after a long illness. He was 79. Musharraf had been suffering from amyloidosis owing to which his organs malfunctioned. The ex-Pakistan chief of Army staff was in a self-imposed exile in the United Arab Emirates due to charges against him in his own country for the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007.
Musharraf, identified himself as a cricket lover and when he was the President, India and Pakistan, who now no longer face off in bilateral contests, produced some memorable cricket matches. One such iconic series was India's tour of the neighbouring country back in 2004 during which the Men in Blue had beaten the home side both in the ODI and Test series.
Sourav Ganguly, the captain of that touring Indian side, recollected an interesting incident involving Musharraf in his autobiography "A Century Is Not Enough."
Ganguly Sneaks Out Of The Team Hotel
When the team was staying at Lahore's Pearl Continental Hotel, Ganguly wanted to visit the famous food street in the city, however, due to tight security he feared he won't be allowed to go. So the then skipper of the Indian team decided not to inform the security officer.
"Well past midnight I discovered that my friends were making plans to visit the iconic Food Street for kebabs and tandoori dishes. The area is known as Gawalmandi," Ganguly writes in the book co-written with journalist Gautam Bhattacharya.
"I didn't inform our security officer as I knew he would have stopped me. I had only told our team manager Ratnakar Shetty. I slipped through the backdoor with a cap which covered half my face I knew it was breaking the rules, but I felt I had to get away from the rifles and tanks."
Ganguly Gets Recognised By Fans On Street
People on the street though didn't take long to recognise Ganguly.
""Arey aap Sourav Ganguly ho na?" someone asked excitedly. I said no in a slightly modulated voice. He shook his head and said, 'I thought as much. Par aap bilkul Sourav jaise dikhte ho," he further reveals in the book."We were about to finish our dinner when someone finally called my bluff. A few yards from where we sat was journalist Rajdeep Sardesai. The moment Rajdeep spotted me, he started shouting, Sourav, Sourav. I knew I was in trouble.
"People started coming in from all directions and I got gheraoed-While I tried to pay the bill and escape, the shopkeeper refused to accept payment. He kept on saying, 'Bahut achcha. We need someone as aggressive as you to lead Pakistan'."
President Musharraf's message to Ganguly
On their way back to the hotel, the left-handed batter was stopped by a biker who chased his car and wanted him to roll down the window. When the cricketer obliged, Ganguly claims the fan told him Pakistan needed a leader like him.
However, the then President Musharraf came to know about the incident.
"President Musharraf was polite but firm. He said, 'Next time you want to go out please inform the security and we will have an entourage with you. But please don't indulge in adventures'," Ganguly wrote.
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