Raja, Sambaran hail Sourav

Kolkata, Oct 7 (IANS) National selector Raja Venkat Tuesday described Sourav Ganguly's decision to retire from international cricket as the end of the journey of a marvelous and fantastic player.

'He was obviously the best captain to have led the Indian team,' said Venkat, who joined the national selection panel as an East Zone representative about a week back.

Former national selector Sambaran Banerjee said Ganguly's decision was pragmatic.

'He couldn't have timed it better. He is leaving gracefully. He has nothing more to prove,' said Banerjee, who as selector had played a key role in including Ganguly in the Indian team for the 1996 Test series in England.

Ganguly came up with back-to-back hundreds in his first two Tests to launch his international career with a bang.

Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) joint secretary Biswarup De said it would be a loss for Indian cricket. 'The way he is making comebacks one after the other, he still had it in him to serve the country well.'