Past performance irrelevant, we'll do well in World Cup: Ganguly

New Delhi, Jan 18 (UNI) Comeback man Sourav Ganguly is not unduly worried with Team India's string of poor shows in recent past and the former captain asserts that the Men in Blue would do well in the forthcoming World Cup in the West Indies.

Ganguly is back in the ODI ranks after 16 months of eventful gap and it was his gutsy show in the Test series in South Africa, which earned him a recall for the ODI series against the West Indies and the southpaw has also been made part of India's World Cup mix.

In an interview with BBC Sports, Ganguly insisted too much should not be read in the side's performance last year.

''I am a firm believer that doing well in the World Cup has nothing to do with past performances. It's all about what you do in the five or six weeks of the tournament,'' he said.

After comprehensive series wins in Pakistan and then at home against England, India stuttered to 13 losses in their final 17 matches in 2006.

The team was comprehensively beaten in the ODI series in the West Indies and Rahul Dravid's side came a cropper in the rain-marred DLF Cup in Kuala Lumpur as well.

In South Africa too, India's performance was pathetic and the side, apart from losing the Test series, was whitewashed 4-0 by their hostile hosts.

''I don't really know the reason (for the poor run) because I've not been part of the team for the last year.

''But I am sure the selectors and everybody else is concerned about it and if we get the right side I am sure we can do well,'' asserted Ganguly, who has a tally of four centuries in two World Cups, a record he shares with Mark Waugh and Sachin Tendulkar.

Jolted by the string of setbacks, selectors took strong stance and did not hesitate to drop vice captain Virender Sehwag and left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan for the first half of the four-match ODI series against the West Indies.

Ganguly, meanwhile, hinted that it would be the tried, tested and trusted brigade of old guards who could arrest the slide and guide India to glory.

''We have a good bowling attack, and though the batsmen haven't done well over the last eight or nine months in one-day cricket I'm sure there's enough talent there.

''There's guys who have done well before. I'm sure they can turn it around,'' he added.

UNI