The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : A non-issue, say officials

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A non-issue, say officials

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: A procedural lapse at the Eden Gardens led to an unsavoury incident involving Shah Rukh Khan and the security agencies on Sunday. The incident happened during the Indian Premier League match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings when the Bollywood star was asked to leave the players’ arena.

Even as controversy surrounded Shah Rukh’s eviction by an International Cricket Council (ICC) anti-corruption unit representative, cricket authorities reacted from Mumbai and Dubai, terming it a non-issue.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty said: “There is no issue involved. It was a procedural lapse. Kolkata Knight Riders is a franchisee team and not a country’s team and, in any case, it is a domestic cricket tournament where the ICC does not come into the picture at all.”

According to Prof. Shetty, the film star was not carrying any accreditation and was rightly stopped by the security. “If only Mr. Khan had an official accreditation he would not have had this problem.”

Shah Rukh Khan, owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders, had reacted strongly by daring the security agency to prevent him from getting near the players. “I like to hang around with the boys. I am very disappointed the ICC has stopped me. I don’t know the ICC rules. I will say only one thing. Nobody dare stop me from coming to Kolkata,” he had said after the match.

ICC surprised

The ICC responded by expressing its surprise at Mr. Khan’s statement that its anti-corruption unit had asked him not to be around the players on the field. The ICC said the IPL tournament was being played under the BCCI’s rules and regulations.

According to an ICC spokesman, the IPL was a domestic tournament and the game’s governing body did not have any role in formulating the rules.Interestingly, sometime back the BCCI had restrained its National selectors from entering the players’ area. In any ICC event, even its CEO does not have the accreditation to enter the dressing room but the IPL Council Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi clarified that one franchisee owner was allowed to sit in the dug-out in the IPL.

There were reports of Kings XI Punjab owner Preity Zinta also being asked to sit away from the dug-out during the team’s match against Delhi Daredevils at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Saturday.

Mr. Shetty said the anti-corruption representative, N.S. Virk, had only done his job and that the fault lay with the manager of the Kolkata Knight Riders. “A temporary pass allows you to visit the players’ area for an emergency. A visiting pass could have been procured for Mr. Khan.” “A franchisee has a role to play. This is the first edition of the IPL and such matters can be taken note of,” Mr. Shetty said.

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