I'm not trying to make any statement: Ganguly

Chandigarh: After being dropped from the Rest of India squad, which many see as an indication from the selectors that it was time to draw the curtains on his action-packed career, Sourav Ganguly, who has opted to play in a regional tournament, has said he was playing just because he wanted to play, and not to make a statement to anyone.

The 36-year old Ganguly, who was recently dropped from the Rest of India team, will be seen in action in the JP Attray one-day competition in Chandigarh. He says he was desperate to get some action after rains had restricted him to indoor nets back in Kolkata. He told the Indian Express, "I’m here to just play cricket. I’ve been knocking in Kolkata but the rains have been unrelenting. How much can you bat in the nets, that too indoors? I needed to get some action."

Ganguly further added that he wasn't trying to reach out to anyone or prove anything to anyone. He said, "I know I’m not going to get picked or dropped because of how many runs I score or don’t score in this tournament. I’m not trying to make any statements, I just want to play."

The southpaw further added that he was desperate to get back to action. He said, "I tried to get into Buchi Babu and the Tamil Nadu league but there were no invitational teams allowed for those tournaments. You had to be a registered player with the state. So, I called Mr IS Bindra and asked about this tournament, and he arranged places for me and (Bengal paceman) Ranadeb Bose in a team."

Ganguly also gave a clear indication that he wasn't still thinking about calling it quits when he said, "I’m still practising hard. And I’ve come here to play, haven’t I?"