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Thursday, Nov 16, 2006
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BCCI seeks to downplay controversy

Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) sought to downplay the controversy over the unavailability of the team blazers and ties prior to the National squad's departure for South Africa on Monday, saying it had happened because of a miscommunication with its sponsors.

"It happened because there was a miscommunication with Pantaloons (the providers of the team's formal wears). We thought they would deliver them to the players and that's the reason we had not asked them to carry their old ones. They will be sent to South Africa soon," Niranjan Shah, Secretary, BCCI, said.

"What has happened cannot be set right. But it is not a big issue," said BCCI's Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty.

Photograph session

Shah said the late arrival of two Mumbai-based team members, Ajit Agarkar and Zaheer Khan, making a comeback into the squad after a lengthy gap, had resulted in them missing the official team photograph session and they had been warned not to repeat the mistake in future.

Shah also said that the gag order issued to the players through a letter not to talk individually to the mediapersons on the tour, was "nothing new but continuation of the policy" that the BCCI followed and was done only as a reminder.

"Only the team captain (Rahul Dravid) and coach (Greg Chappell) have been authorised to talk to the media on a regular basis. As has been the case in the past, one player, chosen by the management, would be asked to talk to the media on some days," Shetty said. — PTI

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