Skipper Ganguly with Coach Wright Photo AFP

Trust Sourav Ganguly to stand by his men in their hour of need. With Yuletide almost upon us, it is the turn of John Wright to feel the warmth of his captain's reassuring support.

The Indian skipper's response to reported hints from 'highly-placed Indian Board sources' that the Kiwi was on his way out, might probably have been the finest Christmas present that Wright will have received in his 47 years. "There is no question of changing John Wright. He has been a very good coach," Ganguly told Zee News, a private Indian news channel. "He has been working really hard with the players. Everyone should realise how much he is contributing to the team."

The one-year tenure of both Wright and physio Andrew Leipus was originally slated to end on September 14 but India's hectic schedule meant a decision on their respective futures was put on hold until now. The Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) president, Jagmohan Dalmiya, who has already met up with Wright and Leipus once, now plans to meet the duo again, and Ganguly too, before announcing his decision at the end of the third India-England Test at Bangalore.

It would be worth remembering that Wright and Leipus had been hired by Dalmiya's predecessor AC Muthiah.

The fact that the usually decisive Dalmiya wants to wait until the Test series is over before making the decision suggests that there is bad news awaiting at least one of the two men, if not both.

Ganguly, though, is known to have Dalmiya's ear and his support for Wright might consequentially end up saving at least the latter's career.

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