Mumbai, Dec. 16 (PTI): Cricket board president Sharad Pawar today expressed disapproval of raising in Parliament the removal of Sourav Ganguly from the Indian team.

“If people start using Parliament to say who should be in the Indian cricket team, it would cause irreparable damage to cricket and cricketers,” he told reporters at the Wankhede stadium.

“Some MPs today raised the issue of Sourav Ganguly’s exclusion from the Indian team for the Ahmedabad Test. I can understand that it is an emotional issue. If a great contributor to the game goes out with respect, people won’t be hurt,” he said.

Earlier in the day, responding to a request in the Lok Sabha, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee had said he would allow a discussion in the House.

“There is no point discussing the selection process on a public platform,” Pawar said. “It is my clear stand that politicians should stay away from the selection process.”

“Normally, one does not disturb a winning team. But the selectors may have had their own strategy in leaving out Sourav,” he said.

“I have instructed the chairman of the selection committee (Kiran More) to tell me during the Ahmedabad Test on what basis they had selected the team.”

“I feel politics should be kept out of cricket. Selecting the team is a job best left to the experts. If they commit any mistakes, they will correct the same whenever necessary.”

In a reference to protests in Calcutta against Sourav’s sacking, Pawar said: “If people from state to state start telling who should be in the team, it would cause irreparable damage to the game.”

“People have been writing that Ganguly’s game is over. Let me tell you, there is no truth in this,” he said.

“This is an emotional issue. People of Karnataka will root for Rahul Dravid, those in Mumbai for Sachin Tendulkar. Similarly, people in Calcutta and West Bengal support Ganguly.”

Pawar said the team selection was done unanimously. “After becoming BCCI chief on November 29, I have not met a single selector till date,” Pawar said.

“Our job is to implement whatever decision these experts take. Sometimes, there is a feeling that injustice has been done. But for that, if people from state to state start dictating who should be in the team, then cricket will suffer.

“It is like this. People know that Pawar has won 15 to 16 elections without a loss. So, when he loses, they are shocked. The same applies in the case of Ganguly, who has contributed greatly to Indian cricket,” he said.