Sourav Ganguly regrets hasty international retirement

Sourav Ganguly, the former India captain who quit international cricket in 2008, has said he could have extended his career by a couple of years. Since ending his 113-Test career four years ago, Ganguly has played four seasons of the IPL besides domestic cricket for Bengal.

"I do regret my decision (to retire) sometimes, that I should not have acted in anger," Ganguly said, in an interview to the Kolkata-based Telegraph on the occasion of his 40th birthday. "But I did and... That bit is done and dusted... Yes, I could have played for another two years."

Ganguly had a poor tour of Sri Lanka in 2008, averaging only 16 in series where India's batsmen found it hard to pick the variations of Ajantha Mendis. He was then left out of a full-strength Rest of India side for the Irani Cup in what was widely seen as a signal that the selectors wanted to drop him from the Test team. Less than a month later, Ganguly announced his retirement.

"I didn't have one good series (in Sri Lanka) and, when the Irani Trophy squad was announced, my name was missing," he said. "I'd stopped enjoying my game because I was thinking about things not related to my game, to my cricket. I could have probably just said 'Let them do what they want' and wait for my time."

After his international retirement, Ganguly has been in four seasons of the IPL. There has been speculation over whether the 2012 season would be his last as his side Pune Warriors finished bottom of the table. Ganguly didn't rule out playing another season, though. "We have three-year contracts (with Warriors) and I have a year to go... There's time, let's see."