PESHAWAR, Feb 4: The truth is finally out. Sourav Ganguly's exclusion from the One-day squad for the five-match series against Pakistan was squarely the result of coach Greg Chappell's personal distaste for the former Indian captain, and skipper Rahul Dravid's desire to placate the coach. It had very little to do with issues of Ganguly's form and fitness.

According to highly-placed sources in the Indian team, Dravid was clearly given the option of including Ganguly in the ODI squad as the 16th member. In fact, team manager Raj Singh Dungarpur - who, there are reasons to believe, has patched up with Ganguly - even spoke to BCCI president Sharad Pawar to increase the One-day squad to accommodate Ganguly. But Pawar made it clear that he would oblige only if Dravid wanted him to do so.

Dravid, however, turned down the request, reasoning that the Behala southpaw's presence would infuriate Chappell no end. In effect, his decision not to upset Chappell effectively sealed Ganguly's fate. Sources who spoke to Times Now said that even before the team left for Pakistan, Dungarpur was given clear instructions by Pawar that Ganguly had to feature in the playing XI.

On the 12th of January, on the eve of the first Test, Dravid said he wanted to open the innings, while Ganguly was, as per plans, to play at the Number 5 spot. Later the team management overruled Dravid and decided that Sourav would have to open the innings for India.

Inexplicably, the sequence of events changed the next day, when Dravid spoke to Chappell about how he wanted to be the first man to face the new ball from Shoaib. Dravid's argument to Chappell was that he did not want to give the impression that Ganguly was being made the scapegoat. Upset with this last-minute change, Ganguly pointed out that he had first not been told that he would open the innings, and then, when he had just made up his mind to do so, he was being told that he would bat in the middle order. According to sources, in a private conversation, Chappell asked Ganguly to forget the past, and concentrate on the game.

On the 18th of January, it was decided that for the Faisalabad Test, India would go in with four bowlers, with Ganguly doubling up as the extra seamer. But Chappell at this stage again wielded the axe and chopped Ganguly's name out of the final XI on the morning of the game. It was a lost opportunity for Ganguly, because the wicket turned out to be a batting paradise similar to the first Test in Lahore.

The clincher against Sourav happened in Karachi. Dungarpur claims that Ganguly was not initially slated to play, and that he was included only because of injury to Ajit Agarkar. Ganguly, however, conducted himself well in the game.

What emerges from the entire saga is that Dravid felt getting Ganguly in the One-day squad would upset Chappell. And therefore, in more ways than one, Ganguly's exclusion is the result of personal rivalry, and not performance.