The Hindu : No bowling coach sought, says Dalmiya

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 29, 2004

Sport

Sport - Cricket

No bowling coach sought, says Dalmiya

By Our special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, FEB. 28. The Board of Control for Cricket in India President, Jagmohan Dalmiya, asserted on Saturday that no request had been made to him to appoint a new bowling coach for the Indian team to tour Pakistan.

Asked about skipper Sourav Ganguly's comments regarding a bowling coach, in place of Bruce Reid, who was unavailable for the tour, Mr. Dalmiya said the captain had not discussed the matter with him. Nor was there any discussion on the topic at the Working Committee meeting on Saturday.

The Indian team for the Pakistan tour would be chosen at Kolkata on March 1, two days ahead of the originally planned date. There would be a short camp at Kolkata from March 7 to 9. Barring Harbhajan Singh, all the players were fit, but there could be another fitness test when the players assemble in Kolkata on March 7, Mr. Dalmiya said.

The team was scheduled to leave for Pakistan from Delhi on March 10 by a special flight, Mr. Dalmiya said. Asked whether the briefings by the Home Ministry and the Ministry of External Affairs would still be in place in view of the camp up to March 9, he said the briefings could be held on the morning of March 10.

Prof R.S. Shetty, BCCI Joint Secretary, will be the manager of the team, while Amrit Mathur, BCCI Communications Director, will be the Media Manager.

Mr. Dalmiya wanted to play down the recent controversy regarding certain clauses in the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). He felt that at the slightest opportunity someone or the other was creating a controversy.

The Board chief said that the MoU was a standard one and contained certain enabling clauses governing commercial, technical and other aspects. It also contained certain clauses relating to any untoward incident and the Indian side's right to call off the tour without incurring financial damages.

Quoting from the communication between the two Boards on the matter, Mr. Dalmiya explained that any decision to call off the tour, in case of an unsavoury incident would be based on the "seriousness'' of the incident or situation.

In reply to PCB's query on the matter, the BCCI has stated that any such decision would not be an "emotional'' one and if at all a situation arose forcing such an abrupt end then a decision would be taken after consultations with the Union Government and the team members. It was also pointed out that the entire security aspect of the tour rested with the PCB.

Mr. Dalmiya said the Board had been "a little demanding'' in its discussions with its counterpart, while the PCB had gone to "great extents to accommodate us.''

All former India captains were being invited to visit Pakistan during the tour since this was a `friendship tour', Mr. Dalmiya said. He had no clue about the eventual size of the party that the Board would be taking to Pakistan. He said numbers were not discussed with the PCB. He also said that he was not aware of the number of visas to be approved by Pakistan for the `friendship' series. He was, however, sure of his presence in Pakistan during the tour that is being revived after a gap of 14 years.

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