The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Chapter closed, says Pawar

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Monday, Mar 06, 2006

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Sport - Cricket

Chapter closed, says Pawar

Sports Reporter

Nagpur: The BCCI president Sharad Pawar, who separately met coach Greg Chappell and four senior players on Saturday night, said the board through him had "communicated our displeasure" to Chappell on his comments on Sourav Ganguly and that Chappell "assured us that he will not speak about Ganguly or any other player."

Mr. Pawar also met Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, and Anil Kumble though Chappell's comments weren't discussed in that meeting. All agreed that the chapter was closed. The other meeting Mr. Pawar had that night was with board officials.

Chappell had, in an interview to The Guardian, said Ganguly had clung on to captaincy for financial reasons. Pawar said Chappell had been contracted by the board and "according to BCCI rules any official or player cannot make any statement against another player".

Ganguly's threat

On Ganguly's threat to go to court, Pawar said, "If he wants to continue as a contracted player he has to abide by the rules of the BCCI. If he is not interested to continue as a contracted player he has got every right to take action."

Contrary to selection committee chairman Kiran More's comments that the selectors, "wouldn't look back (at Ganguly)," Mr. Pawar said if Ganguly scored runs he could make his way back.

On Sunday evening after announcing the team for the second Test, More was asked again about Ganguly. "I have already said it before, there's nothing new. We will not look back, we are looking forward."

PTI reports

Admonished by the BCCI for his controversial criticism of Ganguly, Chappell has admitted it was a `mistake' to have made such comments.

"Chappell admitted during the meeting that it had been a mistake on his part to have suggested that (captaincy was utterly important to Ganguly's life and finances)," said BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah who also attended the meeting.

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