Former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly on Wednesday said he was hopeful of getting a berth in the squad for the first Test against England in Nagpur.
"I am hopeful," the left-hander told newspersons when asked whether he expected his name to figure in the squad which would be announced in Vadodara on Thursday.
Minutes earlier, Ganguly had exhorted students of the Siliguri Boys' High School to work hard, saying, "hard work pays."
Ganguly, who laid the foundation stone of a Rs 10 crore flyover, also attended a slew of felicitation programmes in the town.
He also laid the foundation stones of a business complex 'Sourav' and a health centre.
Parties opposed to West Bengal's ruling Left front, however, criticised these programmes, dubbing them as 'election campaign' by state's Municipal Affairs Minister Ashok Bhattacharjee.
They alleged that the minister, who hails from the area, had misused his power and position to rope in Ganguly for laying 'a series of foundation stones' when there were doubts over the projects materialising.