NEW DELHI, April 5: Making a scathing attack on Saurav Ganguly, spin wizard Bishen Singh Bedi on Saturday blamed Indian captain for defeat in the World Cup final to Australia, saying he should not have opted to field first after winning the toss.

At a felicitation ceremony for left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra and batsman Virender Sehwag, organised by Confederation of Indian Industries, Bedi, a known Ganguly-baiter, severely criticised the skipper for his “arrogance” and failure to take opinion of his bowlers and shielding the batsmen.

Bedi asked Nehra whether Ganguly had taken him and other bowlers into confidence before deciding to field first in the final. When Nehra replied in negative, Bedi launched his attack.

“What am I suppose to understand if the captain does not talk to me before about what he is going to do, and instructs me straightaway to do a thing,” Bedi asked in fury.

“I am sorry to say he is not a bowler’s captain at all. Actually, I am not sorry at all about saying that,” Bedi said.

“If we have the world’s best batting, why do we need to protect it. Eight wins on the trot had not given you the confidence.

“I could see him (Ganguly) trembling at the toss,” Bedi said.

The former India captain also came down heavily on Ganguly for writing in his newspaper column that he was proud of his team which he had built and moulded on his own in last 18 months.

“That’s pure arrogance. Are selectors and others in the Board all donkeys?” thundered Bedi.

“Cricket is a game of humility. Whenever you lose it should be ‘I’, and when you win it should be ‘We’. Not the other way around.”

Sehwag could not make it to the function. Nehra answered a few questions from the audience which included many former cricketers and members of industry.

Nehra said his 6-23 against England was a memorable performance but match against Pakistan would probably live in his memory long for sheer intensity and emotion.—PPI