Karachi: Two former Pakistan captains, Zaheer Abbas and Rameez Raja, want Sourav Ganguly judged on the manner in which he got 34 (the third highest score by an Indian) and not merely his runs.

“Sourav showed courage... A lesser batsman would have fallen for much less. Given the difficult circumstances and the pressure he was under, don’t assess him only on the 34. At times, you’ve got to look beyond sheer numbers,” Zaheer told The Telegraph on Monday afternoon.

Speaking at the National Stadium, he added: “Age isn’t on Sourav’s side and, it seems, he has to keep fighting... That your selectors have again overlooked him for the ODIs confirms he doesn’t have a great future... However, he can turn things around by sheer determination...”

In Zaheer’s opinion, Sourav is “India’s pride” and should be ‘handled’ appropriately.

Talking exclusively, Rameez agreed that Sourav’s innings wasn’t short on character. “For me, the real test was him versus Shoaib (Akhtar) and Sourav didn’t flinch... He was up for the challenge... I wouldn’t judge him on his 34, but look at the total picture.”

He continued: “Sourav, in fact, deserves high marks as this is his second comeback in three Tests and he can’t be sure about what lies ahead... It’s not easy delivering under such pressure, but Sourav was the best Indian on view... The wicket wasn’t easy to begin with and conditions did favour Shoaib...”

Rameez, of course, also felt Sourav must assess exactly where he stands if influential individuals are always going to oppose his inclusion. “For somebody with a great record, it doesn’t look nice to be picked and dropped... Sourav should make a realistic assessment and...”

Incidentally, Rameez was of the view that India’s most successful Test captain ought to have been played in all three Tests.