May 17, 2008	Saturday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 11, 1429

MUMBAI, May 16: Former India captain Saurav Ganguly has rejected the idea that Twenty20 is a game for young players, underlining how senior performers have done well in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

The veteran batsman thinks that age chat has become a trend.

“It’s fashionable to talk of age, but I’ve always maintained that class and performance matter,” Ganguly said.

“If you look at the IPL, almost everybody who has got a hundred is over-30... Sanath Jayasuriya is almost 39 ... I myself missed a hundred narrowly,” the left-handed batsman noted.

Ganguly had disclosed his hopes of limited-overs return after Kolkata’s win over Delhi Daredevils.

“I hope the selectors are watching.” Going one step further, he said: “I’m sure my turn will [again] come in ODIs. What I feel bad about is that after 13 years, I still [need to] surprise people.”

Ganguly was controversially axed from the one-day side earlier this year and has gone on to hit out against the selectors.

Dilip Vengsarkar, the chairman of selectors, though, didn’t rule out the possibility of Ganguly coming back.

“He (Ganguly) has done extremely well,” he said. “Yes, we have been watching him, especially his brilliant fielding, with great interest.”

Meanwhile, Ganguly’s India team-mate and batting great Sachin Tendulkar has also dismissed the view of Twenty20 being inappropriate for aged players.

“This tournament is the biggest proof that age doesn’t matter,” Tendulkar stated. “It’s performance; this IPL should stop such questions.”—Agencies