The Indian Panorama

Tag: BCCI

  • My job is to protect ICC’s interests, says Shashank Manohar

    My job is to protect ICC’s interests, says Shashank Manohar

    MUMBAI (TIP): Shashank Manohar’s critics feel that he has let the BCCI down – first by deserting the ship just when the whole foundation was about to be hit by the Supreme Court-constituted Lodha Committee report, and then by ignoring India’s interests after being voted as the chairman of ICC.

    Speaking exclusively to TOI, the 58-year-old clarified his stance on issues which have seen him lose the confidence of the top officials of BCCI…

    There is a growing feeling in BCCI that you’re not protecting India’s interests in the ICC?

    As an independent chairman of the world body, I’m there to protect the ICC’s interests, and not the BCCI’s.

    BCCI is upset that ICC has earmarked a budget as high as $135 million (approx) as the organisational cost for the 2017 Champions Trophy in England, whereas India received only $45 million for organising the World T20 earlier this year…

    This $135 million is a factually wrong figure. The budget for the 2016 World T20 was $ 55m, which included the production cost too. The budget that has been earmarked for the Champions Trophy is $46m, which includes the production cost for the event. You must remember that the cost of accommodation and travel is much more in England than in India.

    It’s believed that both you and the ICC back the introduction of the two-tier system in Test cricket, which the BCCI has staunchly opposed…

    I had made it clear at the ICC meeting of Chief Executives (CECs) and the Board of Directors in Edinburgh that since this involved an issue regarding bilateral series rights, it shouldn’t be discussed on the ICC platform. The ICC only acted as a facilitator while organising an informal meeting of representatives of the countries in Dubai, which wasn’t attended by CECs. We didn’t pay for the expenses towards that meeting. Personally , I was against the idea, because the value of the second-tier teams would be negligible.

    The BCCI feels that you haven’t supported it enough on the Lodha issue…

    What can the ICC do in this? When it comes to the law of the land, everyone, including the ICC, has to abide by its order. We can’t sit on the judgment of the highest court of the country. 

  • BCCI to create digital injury monitoring system

    BCCI to create digital injury monitoring system

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The Indian cricket board (BCCI), which has long been looking for ways to minimize strain-related injuries to its players – especially the faster bowlers – has plans to devise a digital system that will revolve around the concept of injury prevention.

    The idea was proposed at a recent workshop for physios headed by renowned physiotherapists from Australia Patrick Farhart, along with Andrew Leipus, at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). Apart from the creation of a digital database to monitor injuries, the system will also try to identify the threshold workload which will allow a player to remain injury free. This system is already under implementation in Australia and South Africa.

    “The board has put more emphasis on preventing injuries rather than just rehabilitation. That’s why Farhart has come up with this system where there will be a digital bank in which each player’s workload is entered,” a BCCI official told TOI, adding: “He has discussed ways of tracking a player’s workload and understanding when a player may break down. There are different parameters for batsmen and bowlers but the key is to keep monitoring the faster bowlers.

    The board won’t have to depend entirely on local physios who are with state teams.”

    According to sources, there will be a core group of 15 physios operating across the country who will be punching in the workload of players. The digital database is also intended to be a tool to aid the selection process. “It doesn’t matter which state team a player represents. Suppose a player from Assam is picked for a national camp or an India ‘A’ camp at the NCA, the selectors and coaches can punch his name in the system and they will get all the details about the concerned player. This can also help in gauging how much workload a player can sustain if picked for an international tour,” sources said.

    India’s fast bowlers have a long history of breaking down in the middle of a series. If the Farhart-Leipus system is executed properly, this problem can be minimized to a fair extent.”There is a spike against the name of each bowler. Once there is a rise, a possible injury can be traced a good three weeks before it aggravates. Accordingly, workload can be regulated,” the source said.

  • Ganguly and Lodha helped Kumble topple Shastri

    Ganguly and Lodha helped Kumble topple Shastri

    BANGALURU (TIP): Cricket Association of Bengal chief and former India captain Sourav Ganguly and former chief justice of India RM Lodha played a big role in the appointment of Anil Kumble as Team India coach replacing incumbent Ravi Shastri on June 23.

    While Ganguly, who had one year ago lost to Shastri in his own quest to become the coach, spared no effort to ensure that the latter did not get a second term, Justice Lodha, who, as the head of Supreme Court appointed committee, has recommended sweeping reforms in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), played an indirect role in Kumble’s ascension.

    Justice Lodha, among his many antidotes for the ills besetting the cricket board had recommended setting up of a players’ association and suggested that Kumble be made its member. The BCCI by appointing Kumble India coach hit two targets with one stone – it killed the possibility of him becoming a member of the players’ body and also asserted its independence in taking decisions.

    Shastri would have in all likelihood won a second term had it not been for Ganguly’s relentless campaigning for Kumble. In fact, Shastri deserved an extension after having turned the Men in Blue world beaters in the 18 months he was the coach. India, under his stewardship, became the world’s No. 1 Test team, bagged the no. 2 slot in ODIs, and T20s. He also took India to the semi-final stage of the World Cup and the World Twenty20. Asia Cup title, series win against South Africa at home and a rare away series win against Sri Lanka were some of his other achievements. But what he could never win was Dada’s confidence.

    Ganguly and Shastri were never the best of buddies. When the latter bagged the coaching job in 2015 despite Ganguly wanting it for himself, the gulf widened. Ganguly was not even present when Shastri made his presentation to the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) two days back. This despite the venue of the CAC deliberations being shifted from Mumbai to Kolkata on his insistence.

    When Shastri was hooked via video link from Bangkok, where he is currently holidaying, Ganguly was conspicuous by his absence in the Taj Bengal conference room. The BCCI members say it was because Ganguly had to attend his book release function elsewhere in the city. The former team director was interviewed by Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, and Sanjay Jagdale, the other three members of the CAC.

    (PTI)

  • Sanjay Bangar appointed as India’s coach for Zimbabwe tour

    Sanjay Bangar appointed as India’s coach for Zimbabwe tour

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Sanjay Bangar, former India all-rounder, has been appointed as India’s head coach for the Zimbabwe series, the Board of Cricket for Cricket in India announced on Thursday (May 26). Bangar has previously worked with the national team as one of the assistant coaches and is currently the head coach of Indian Premier League franchise Kings XI Punjab. The BCCI have also named Abhay Sharma as the fielding coach. Abhay was previously India A and Under-19’s fielding and wicket-keeping coach.

    “The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed Mr. Koka Ramesh, a former cricketer and Zonal Secretary of the Andhra Cricket Association, as the Administrative Manager of the Indian team for the tour to Zimbabwe,” the BCCI said in a statement.

    “Mr. Sanjay Bangar has been appointed as the Head Coach of the Indian cricket team for the forthcoming tour to Zimbabwe, which commences on the 8th of June comprising 3 One-Day International matches and 3 T20 International matches to be played in Harare.”

    “Mr. Abhay Sharma has been appointed as the fielding coach of the team.”

    The BCCI has been looking to appoint a full-time head coach for the national team after team director Ravi Shastri’s tenure came to an end following the World T20. Bangar (batting), B Arun (fielding) and R Sridhar (fielding) were part of the coaching staff along with Shastri. Newly elected BCCI president Anurag Thakur recently revealed that the process to appoint the next head coach would take around two months and also went on to mention that they had set June 10 as the deadline day for applications to be submitted for the same.

    MS Dhoni will be leading the side in Zimbabwe but the selectors have rested several key players ahead of the Test tour to West Indies.

  • NO PERMANENT POSITIONS FOR BCCI, ECB AND CA: ICC BOARD

    NO PERMANENT POSITIONS FOR BCCI, ECB AND CA: ICC BOARD

    DUBAI (TIP): The International Cricket Council is all set to scrap the controversial constitutional amendments, which gave executive clout and financial power to India, Australia and England, with its Shashank Manohar-led Board recommending complete overhaul of the current power structure on Thursday.

    In its first meeting of 2016 after Manohar took over as ICC Chairman, the world body’s Board agreed that the current system, put in place by controversial former head N Srinivasan, needed to be done away with.

    “As such, the Board unanimously agreed to propose to the Full Council that a new Chairman should be elected by the Board for a two-year term commencing at the June 2016 Board meeting through a secret balloting process overseen by the ICC’s independent Audit Committee Chairman,” the ICC said in a statement.

    “While in the office, the ICC Chairman will not be allowed to hold any post with any Member Board and may be re-elected at the expiry of the term with a maximum limit of three terms.”

    “To qualify to contest the election, it has been agreed that all nominees must be either a past or present ICC Board director and should have the support of at least two Full Member directors.”

    In fact the Manohar-led ICC suggested complete review of the constitutional changes made in 2014 by Srinivasan which gave enormous powers to the ‘Big Three’ with bulk of the revenue share going their way.

    “The Board agreed to approve changes to the terms of reference of the Finance & Commercial Affairs Committee and Executive Committee so as to remove the permanent positions for the nominees of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Cricket Australia (CA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on these committees, and to allow fair access to membership for all Full and Associate Member directors, with the sole criteria being the skill, competence and experience of the relevant director.

    “To that end, the present composition of the committees will be reviewed in their entirety in June 2016,” an ICC release stated.

    “Moreover, the Board has also agreed to carry out a complete review of the 2014 resolutions and constitutional changes with a view to establishing governance, finance, corporate and cricketing structures that are appropriate and effective for the strategic role and function of the ICC and all of its members,” the ICC said.

    “As part of this wide-ranging exercise, the ICC Board has directed that the ICC’s constitution be reviewed in its entirety and all members have been encouraged to provide feedback on this issue to ICC management during the next few weeks.”Manohar said the recommendations were aimed at making ICC operations more transparent.

    “The decisions taken clearly reflect that we collectively want to improve the governance in a transparent manner, not only of the ICC but also the Member Boards.”

    Manohar has constituted a five-member steering group, which, under his leadership, also includes the respective Chairmen of the ICC’s Governance Review Committee, Executive Committee, Finance & Commercial Affairs Committee and Associate/Affiliate Member group, and will be supported by various members of ICC management.

    The steering group will report on progress at the April 2016 meeting, with a view to putting forward any required changes to the meetings during the ICC Annual Conference week in June 2016.

    In a further attempt to improve the governance standards of, and transparency within member boards, the ICC Board agreed to reinstate a previous requirement that Full Members must submit their latest audited statements on an annual basis, as is already the case with all Associate and Affiliate Members.

    With an aim to improve relationships with the Members and cricket stakeholders from around the world, the Board decided that three of the four meetings of the year will take place in Member countries outside of the UAE. (PTI)

  • SUPREME COURT TO BCCI: CARRY OUT ALL LODHA COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

    SUPREME COURT TO BCCI: CARRY OUT ALL LODHA COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The Supreme Court of India on Feb. 4 suggested to the Board of Control for Cricket in India that it accept all the recommendations of the Justice Lodha Committee relating to structural reforms in the governing body, says an IANS report.

    The apex court bench of Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifulla told BCCI that the Justice Lodha Committee has given a “very viable rational solutions. You take a realistic view of the matter and act according to the recommendations.”

    Impressing upon senior counsel Shekhar Naphade, appearing for BCCI, the significance of the report, the court said: “The report deserves respect as it is given by the most competent and well-meaning members of the legal fraternity.”

    “It may affect some people who are holding positions but any transition has to have its problems,” the court said as Naphade sought to project the difficulties that the apex cricketing body was encountering with the recommendations of the Lodha Committee.

    “It involves sweeping changes. We are not taking an obstructionist view. There are technical and legal problems. The legal committee (of BCCI) will take a call on the recommendations, which in turn will be considered by the Board and take a final decision,” Naphade told the court pointing out that BCCI was registered as a society in Tamil Nadu and had to go by its by-laws.

    Not missing on apparent reservations on the part of BCCI in going along with the recommendations of the Lodha Committee, the court made it clear that it would not appreciate any suitable assessment of the same (recommendations) by the cricketing body.

    “We will say that we accept the recommendations and ask the Justice Lodha Committee to push forward its (recommendations) for its implementation… help and steer them (BCCI) in the implementation of the recommendations and also monitor it,” Chief Justice Thakur said.

    Thakur also made it clear that there could not be any “ifs and buts” in going along with the recommendations for structural reforms in BCCI.

    Senior counsel Indu Malhotra, appearing for Cricket Association of Bihar, read out the summary of the recommendations by the Justice Lodha Committee and told the court that some states including Bihar and six north-eastern states Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Mizoram have no representation in the apex cricketing body.

    On the other hand, Maharashtra and Gujarat have multiple votes, Indu Malhotra told the court.

    Naphade cited historical reasons to justify multiple representation of Maharashtra and Gujarat in BCCI.

    The apex court appointed Justice R.M. Lodha Committee have made a host of far-reaching recommendations for improvement of cricket administration in the country including limiting the term for BCCI office bearers with a cooling off period and separate governing bodies for BCCI and the Indian Premier League.

    It had also recommended bringing BCCI under the Right to Information Act, legalization of betting, uniformity in structure of state associations, and a one-state-one-member (vote) pattern for BCCI’s governing body.

    The matter would come up for further hearing on March 3.

  • DDCA row: AAP, Kirti Azad intensify attack on Jaitley

    DDCA row: AAP, Kirti Azad intensify attack on Jaitley

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, December 30, came under fresh attack over DDCA affairs with AAP accusing him of pressuring the then Police Commissioner to
    “close” investigation involving a cricket club of a bank in 2011 while suspended BJP MP Kirti Azad claimed the SFIO probe report had recommended his “prosecution”.

    In a related development, the DDCA said it has decided to file defamation case against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Azad besides other top AAP functionaries for making “wild and baseless” allegations of corruption against the cricket body.

    Continuing its offensive against him, AAP released two letters, purportedly written by Jaitley, to then Delhi Police Commissioner BK Gupta and then Special Commissioner Ranjit Narayan, requesting them to “fairly” deal with the matter and “close” the case since “DDCA has done no wrong”.

    The party also renewed its demand for Jaitley’s resignation in the wake of the “fresh disclosures”. The letter to Gupta is dated October 27, 2011 while the one written to Narayan is dated May 5, 2012.

    Senior AAP leader Ashutosh claimed that the letters “punctured” the Finance Minister’s repeated assertions that he was in no way connected with any wrongdoing in the Delhi and District Cricket Association, which he headed for 13 years till 2013.

    BJP dismisses allegations

    Reacting to the allegations, BJP spokesperson GVL Narsimha Rao asked as to what was wrong in Jaitley writing a letter to the police commissioner. “He was not even in power so the charge does not stick.”

    In the letter to Narayan, Jaitley is quoted as writing that “some persons have been repeatedly approaching Delhi Police with complaints in relation to the identity of the Syndicate Bank Cricket Club.

    “The complaints are completely unsubstantiated and do not disclose any offence. Certain office-bearers of the DDCA are feeling harassed by repeated questioning in this regard. I would request you to look into this matter so that it can be fairly dealt with and closed since the DDCA has done no wrong.”

    When contacted, DDCA said the club is under them and that it currently falls in the “institutional” category.

    “There are two types of clubs – institutional and private. While a private club receives a subsidy, an institutional does not and that is the broad difference between the two,” a DDCA official said.

    Azad, suspended by BJP for anti-party activities, claimed the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) probe report had recommended “prosecution” of Jaitley in the DDCA affairs even as he targeted more politicians, including party MP and BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur.

    Azad also appeared to support Kejriwal’s allegation that a DDCA official had sought sexual favors from a woman if she wanted her son to be part of its cricket team, saying it was not a new thing and he had raised a similar issue in 2007.

    DDCA row-arunSFIO recommended ‘prosecution’ of Jaitley, claims Azad  

    At a press conference here, Azad quoted from the report of SFIO, which had gone into the Delhi cricket body affairs, to claim that it had recommended “prosecution” of Jaitley among others but it has not been done in the last three years.

    “Under the Companies Act, 1956, all the directors were to be assigned particular roles and if they are not, then the term (for action against them) is compounding. As many as 27 executive members, including Jaitley, were not assigned any role. Twenty-four of them, including Jaitley, did not compound.

    “So SFIO recommended that under Section 5 G of the Companies Act, the Registrar of Companies should prosecute them for not compounding. It shows the BCCI is above law. It has been three years since the recommendation but they have not been prosecuted,” he said.

    Hitting back at Jaitley who had called him a “Trojan horse”, Azad said, “these were the Trojan horses who did not let it come. Trojan horses in and outside the Cabinet. I hope it does come”.

    Asked to identify the politicians, he named Jaitley, Thakur, Rajeev Shukla, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Farooq Abdullah and Praful Patel. All of them were then, and most still are, involved in cricket administration except Patel, who is All India Football Federation president.

    Referring to Thakur, the three-time MP from Darbhagna said, “You cannot wear two caps. This is a conflict of interest. Either you are in Parliament or you are associated with a sports association.”

    Refuting the fresh allegations by Azad and AAP leaders, DDCA said it will sue them having “defamed” the organization.

    Addressing a press conference where all top DDCA officials were present, acting president Chetan Chauhan said that a lot of “false” charges have been leveled against the state cricket body and it was forced to take legal recourse against those spreading such disinformation.

    Treasurer Ravinder Manchanda said DDCA will file a defamation case against Kejriwal, Azad and others who made the allegations of corruption and financial embezzlement in the DDCA.

    Chauhan said three agencies were already probing the cases against the DDCA and there was no need for a fresh probe to be initiated by the AAP government which has appointed a one-member Commission of Inquiry for the purpose. (Source: PTI)

     

  • Venue allotments for World T20 raises eyebrows

    Venue allotments for World T20 raises eyebrows

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The Indian cricket board’s (BCCI) decision to award almost half of the ICC World T20 matches next year to only two venues -Dharamshala and Nagpur -has raised eyebrows. These two venues -which will together host 17 out of 35 games in the tournament -belong to state associations from where the board secretary and president belong.

    Nagpur, the home association of BCCI president Shashank Manohar, is set to host nine games while Dharamshala -home to board secretary Anurag Thakur-run Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association -will stage eight.

    Five other venues will host the other half of the tournament.Chandigarh, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Delhi -all traditional Test venues -will host a total of 18 matches, including the final at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens.

    There are 20 international cricket stadiums in the country , of which 15 are certified Test venues now. However, the BCCI decided to shortlist and finalize only these seven venues to host the World T20 matches, to be held from March 9 to April 3. The biggest surprise is that the marquee game of the tournament -India versus Pakistan -has been awarded to Dharamshala, which has a capacity of only 23,000. Some other venues across India which were ignored boasts capacities ranging from 30,000 to 55,000.

    “It is not even in rotation that Dharamshala has been awarded the game,” a senior board functionary said, adding: “If you had a choice between 23,000 people watching India play Pakistan and 40,000 or 50,000 people watching, which option would you choose?” Clearly, outside of Maharashtra, where Pakistan are not welcome to play, there are several venues that could have been considered for this big-ticket game.

    G Gangaraju, the BCCI vice-president from South Zone and also the chairman of the board’s tour programme and fixtures committee, was not forthcoming on the reasons behind allotting 17 matches to Nagpur and Dharamshala and shortlisting only five other venues. “I’ll have to look into it and get back to you. I’m in Parliament right now,” Gangaraju said.

    Only a month ago, BCCI had added six new venues to its list of certified Test centres. Of those six, only Dharamshala has been awarded eight World T20 games while the remaining five -Pune, Rajkot, Indore, Ranchi and Visakhapatnam -have been ignored altogether.

    Some other traditional centres like Chennai -the power centre of the previous regime in the BCCI -have also been snubbed. Chennai will host only four women’s World T20 games instead of the expected big-draw men’s matches.

    (PTI)

  • Jaitley’s DDCA affairs

    Jaitley’s DDCA affairs

    The controversy over the CBI searching the office of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal perfectly illustrates why politicians must not get involved with sports administration, especially cricket, which is flush with money and vulnerable to corruption. The CBI said the target of the raid was Rajendra Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, in connection with an old corruption case. But Kejriwal claimed the real motive behind the raid on his office was to seize a file pertaining to an investigation into corruption in the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA).

    It’s widely accepted that the DDCA is the most venal, mismanaged cricket association in the country. Earlier this month, the Test match between India and South Africa was allowed to be held there only under the supervision of a Supreme Court-appointed observer. Each state cricket association receives a funding of at least Rs 30 crore a year from the Indian cricket board (BCCI); most state associations have huge sums of money in the bank, but the DDCA is bankrupt. Its stadium was to be renovated at a cost of Rs 24 crore, but over Rs 110 crore was spent. There are allegations of corruption in the selection of the state teams, right from the junior-most level. Delhi’s Ranji Trophy players were not paid match fees for two years.

    Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was the DDCA’s president from 1999 to 2013; he continues to be the go-to man for cricket administrators needing help, and mentor to several powerful officials. Last month, the Delhi Government’s probe into the DDCA’s operations highlighted corruption and lack of transparency in its functioning. Kejriwal has insinuated that the CBI raid on his office was organised at the behest of Jaitley in order to seize files pertaining to the DDCA case. This allegation becomes credible only because Jaitley is deeply entrenched in the DDCA’s affairs, heading it for 14 years. This case demonstrates the perils of representing several interest groups – as Jaitley and other politicians who are involved in cricket do – at the same time.

  • Virender Sehwag felicitated by BCCI in Delhi

    Virender Sehwag felicitated by BCCI in Delhi

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Virender Sehwag, the former swashbuckling Indian opener, was felicitated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday (December 3) ahead of the fourth India-South Africa Test in Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. Sehwag had a word of gratitude for his father for allowing him to play the sport and his captains, coaches and friends.

    “I want to thank my father for allowing me to play the game of cricket and giving me freedom to do whatever I wanted to. All my coaches, especially AN Sharma for making me the cricketer I am. I want to thank my first captain Ajay Jadeja and other captains Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble. I want to thank Sachin Tendulkar. I would also like to thank all my fans for standing by me in my good and bad times,” the 37-year-old said.

    Anurag Thakur, the BCCI secretary, was present at the venue and presented Sehwag with a silver plaque commemorating his stellar achievements and contributions to Indian cricket. Sehwag called time on his glorious international career with over 8,000 runs in both Tests and One-Day Internationals (ODI).

    Reputed to take on the bowlers irrespective of the format of the game, Sehwag occupies top three spots in the list of highest individual Test scores by Indians, with two triple centuries and a 293. He is also one of the only four batsmen around the world to have notched up two scores in excess of 300.

  • TS THAKUR TO BE NEXT CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA

    TS THAKUR TO BE NEXT CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Justice T S Thakur will take over as the next Chief Justice of India on December 2. He will succeed Justice H L Dattu, who will demit office next month. Justice Thakur, the senior-most judge of the apex court, would be the 43rd chief justice of India.

    His name was recommended to the government by current CJI Justice Dattu on Monday. It has been a convention for the sitting CJI to recommend the name of the senior-most judge as his successor a month before retirement. The law ministry will forward the file of Justice Thakur’s appointment to the Prime Minister’s Office. His warrant of appointment will be issued when the President approves it.

    Justice Thakur, who was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court in November 2009, will have a tenure of little over one year. He would retire on January 4, 2017.

    Justice Thakur, 63, has been associated with a host of significant judgments. He led the bench which had delivered the verdict on reforming the BCCI following the IPL betting and spot-fixing scandal. The Justice Lodha Committee, which has issued a slew of recommendations relating to IPL and BCCI, had also been set up by his bench. In February 2015, a bench headed by him ruled on the contours of Article 25, which prescribes freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion. It held that polygamy was not an integral part of any religion and that the State could regulate such practices in the interest of public order, health and morality. By a judgment in 2014, Justice Thakur’s bench set a stricter scrutiny for those interested in joining police force. It ruled

    that any person who has faced a criminal case cannot get a job in the police force, even if he or she is acquitted or reaches a settlement under the law. “A candidate to be recruited to the police service must be worthy of confidence and must be a person of utmost rectitude and must have impeccable character and integrity. A person having criminal antecedents will not fit in this category,” it said. In 2013, Justice Thakur’s bench made it compulsory for all the courts to determine the aspect of compensation for victims in every criminal case. Regretting the “neglect” of a legal provision on award of compensation to the victims of crimes, the bench headed by him, had sent its order to all high courts for intimation and strict compliance. The first-ever official exercise to map the drug menace in India was also carried out on the orders of the bench headed by Justice Thakur in 2012. The three-year-long exercise revealed that of the 51.4 lakh kg of narcotics confiscated across the country over the last 10 years, only 16 lakh kg were destroyed. The bench headed by him is currently examining various important issues, including Ganga cleaning, Saradha chit fund scam case, NRHM scam, One-Rank-One-Pension (OROP) case, Sahara investors’ refund etc.

  • Pepsi to withdraw IPL sponsorship: Report

    Pepsi to withdraw IPL sponsorship: Report

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Global beverage giant PepsiCo has reportedly informed the BCCI that it does not want to continue to sponsor the controversy-hit Indian Premier League (IPL), according to The Indian Express.

    The daily quoted an unnamed IPL source as saying that PepsiCo, who in November 2012 had acquired the title rights for the IPL for approximately $71 million (Rs 396 crore) across a five-year period leading upto 2017 – almost double the original title sponsorship deal of 2008 – had intended to withdraw from the league in 2014 after the spot-fixing scandal broke a year earlier, but were persuaded otherwise.

    “Last season, Pepsi wanted to withdraw, especially in the aftermath of the spot-fixing case but the BCCI managed to convince it to stick on for another year. However, this time it was firm that it will not continue its association with the IPL, more so after the Lodha Committee recommended the suspension of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. The conflict of interest issues also had an impact,” The Indian Express quoted the source as saying.

    According to the report, PepsiCo has informed Sundar Raman, the IPL’s COO, that it intends to withdraw and that Raman has informed Shashank Manohar, the newly elected BCCI president, about their decision.

    It is believed that the BCCI will discuss the issue during its working committee meeting in Mumbai on October 18.

  • West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee names Sourav Ganguly as new CAB chief

    West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee named former India skipper Sourav Ganguly as the new chief of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) as the successor to Jagmohan Dalmiya, who passed away on September 20th. Ganguly, who is currently the joint secretary of the Bengal association since 2014, will be the first Test player to head CAB. Abhishek, late Jagmohan Dalmiya’s son, is in line to become the joint secretary of the association.

    “We’ll have to call for a meeting with all the members. I have to be thankful to all the members for this opportunity. If all the 117 members agree, then I’m ready to take up the responsibility. It will be a challenge, we have to keep working everyday. We will all work together,” Ganguly told the press.

    “It’s not CM’s sole decision. She has spoken to everyone. I’m very happy that she wanted Abhishek (Dalmiya) in. Whatever time they want me to go, I’ll go. It’s an emotional time for him and I will support him,” Ganguly added.

    Ganguly’s new role as the head of an East zone state association gives him the power to play a crucial role in the upcoming BCCI’s presidential elections.

  • BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya dies of cardiac arrest

    BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya dies of cardiac arrest

    KOLKATA (TIP): BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya died, Sunday, September 20, of cardiac arrest, at the age of 75.

    Dalmiya was admitted to the BM Birla Heart Research Institute on September 17 night after he complained of chest pain.

    The 75 year old veteran cricket administrator has been physically indisposed for quite some time with a lot many ailments and was not taking active part in the BCCI’s day to day activities.

    Dalmiya’s death has been mourned by the BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur and many great names in the cricketing world, including Sourav Ganguli.

  • BCCI PRESIDENT JAGMOHAN DALMIYA SUFFERS HEART ATTACK

    BCCI PRESIDENT JAGMOHAN DALMIYA SUFFERS HEART ATTACK

    Update : Sep 20, 2015: BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya Dies Of Cardiac Arrest – Full report to Follow

    KOLKATA (TIP): BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya was rushed to the BM Birla Heart Research Institute he complained of chest pain late on September 17 night.

    The 75-year-old veteran cricket administrator has been physically indisposed for quite some time with lot of ailments and was actively not taking any part in the BCCI’s day to day activities.

    “Jagmohan Dalmiya was admitted to the BM Birla Hospital after 9 pm after he was brought here with complaints of chest pain. A medical team has been assigned and they are monitoring his health,” a hospital source said.

    It has been learnt that Dalmiya might have suffered a cardiac attack due to which he needed to be hospitalised.

    During the time of hospitalisation, his son Abhishek Dalmiya is learnt to have accompanied him. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly also rushed from his Behala residence while minister in-charge of sports (West Bengal) Arup Biswas also rushed to the hospital.

    The senior officials of local body Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) have also rushed to the hospital.

    That Dalmiya’s health has been an issue was an open secret in the Indian cricket circle for quite some time after he took over the BCCI president’s post in March, this year.

    Due to Dalmiya’s health conditions, it has been secretary Anurag Thakur who has called the shots.

    It has been quite some time that Dalmiya has not been able to properly conduct any BCCI meetings in the near past.

    In fact, Dalmiya could not coherently answer any question when he met the three-member SC appointed panel headed by Justice RM Lodha, where his son was prompting all the questions to him.

    There has been dissenting voices in BCCI about his failing health and recently there were calls to remove him from the post of president.

  • CBI sends papers to Interpol for Red Corner Notice against Lalit Modi

    New Delhi (TIP): The CBI has sent documents related to former IPL boss Lalit Modi, being probed for alleged money laundering in conduct of the T- 20 cricket tournament, to Interpol for issuance of a Red Corner Notice against him.

    “All necessary documents in the case being probed by Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been sent to the Interpol for issuance of the notice,” official sources said.

    The move came after a Mumbai Court recently issued a non-bailable warrant against the former IPL Commissioner.

    The ED has sought Interpol’s help as domestic legal options available to it for serving its summons to Modi issued under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) failed. After his lawyer in Mumbai refused to accept the summons, contending he was not authorised for it, the ED had e-mailed it to the former IPL honcho, who has made London his home, but elicited no response from him.

    CBI is the nodal agency for Interpol-related affairs in India.

    The Red Corner Notice is issued “to seek the location and arrest of wanted persons with a view to extradition or similar lawful action” in a criminal case probe.

    Once the red corner notice has been issued, the Interpol seeks to arrest the person concerned in any part of the world and notifies that country to take his or her custody for further action at their end.Sources said the ED is also mulling to seek Modi’s extradition by sending a request to the Ministry of External Affairs through the Home Ministry. The ED is probing Modi, the Indian Premier League (IPL) and its executives for alleged violation of anti-money laundering laws after registering a criminal FIR in 2012. The FIR was filed after the Central agency took cognizance of a cheating complaint filed by former BCCI chief N Srinivasan against Modi and half a dozen others with the Chennai police.

    The ED subsequently invoked PMLA along with sections 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC to probe if BCCI-IPL and the exchequer had been cheated in the award of telecast rights for the T20 tournament in 2009. The case relates to a 2008 deal between World Sports Group (WSG) and Multi Screen Media (MSM) for television rights of Indian Premier League (IPL) worth Rs 425 crore.

    In 2008, the BCCI had awarded media rights for ten years to WSG for USD 918 million. WSG entered into a deal with MSM to make Sony the official broadcaster. The contract was replaced a year later with a nine-year deal where MSM paid US $1.63 billion. The ED started a probe in 2009 under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) to investigate whether payment of Rs 425 crore facilitation fee by MSM Singapore to WSG Mauritius was made illegally.

    It is also probing 16 foreign exchange violation cases vis-a-vis IPL, Modi and others. The most important of the cases is the one related to media rights deal in which the agency slapped show-cause notices against Modi and 13 others in February this yearThe ED, in its notice, has accused Modi of sending “fraud” emails and being a suspect beneficiary of Rs 125 crore illegal funds in connection with the Rs 425 crore deal for grant of media rights of the T- 20 tournament.

  • CSK, RR SUSPENDED FROM IPL FOR 2 YRS; LIFE BAN ON KUNDRA, MEIYAPPAN

    CSK, RR SUSPENDED FROM IPL FOR 2 YRS; LIFE BAN ON KUNDRA, MEIYAPPAN

    NEW DELHI (TIP): A Supreme Court-appointed panel suspended IPL franchises Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) for two years on July 14 after their officials were found guilty of illegally betting on games, in what is being seen as a bid to clean up the big-ticket tournament hit by a barrage of corruption controversies.

    The three-member committee headed by former chief justice of India RM Lodha also slapped a life ban from all cricket matches on former CSK official Gurunath Meiyappan, who’s the son-in-law of International Cricket Council (ICC) president N Srinivasan, and Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra.

    The league has been mired in controversy since May 2013 when fast bowler S Sreesanth and two of his teammates from the Rajasthan franchise were arrested by Delhi Police on charges of spot fixing, or influencing the outcomes of parts of a match in exchange for money.

    “The fact that Gurunath was an integral part of CSK and most people saw him as the face of the team, he ought not to have indulged in betting practices,” the committee said. “That the allegation of match-fixing against Kundra was not finally established does not matter because his status as owner has brought disrepute.”

    The decision is seen as a big blow to Indian cricket’s showpiece event that brought glamour and big bucks to Indian cricket. It also puts a question mark on the future of dozens of cricketers playing in the two teams and is expected to dent the tournaments massive sponsorship and TV rights revenues.

    After the committee’s order, top BCCI and IPL officials met to discuss the road ahead and assess the financial implications on the multi-crore tournament.

    Sources said three primary points emerged from the discussions: whether new companies will be allowed to bid for the two vacant slots, whether all players or only the CSK and RR players will be going into auctions next year and also the probability of the de-merger of CSK from parent company India Cements.

    BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya welcomed the panel’s order, saying the board was committed to ensuring transparency, accountability and cleansing the sport in order to restore the faith of millions of cricket-loving people.

    “BCCI is committed to honour and respect judicial decisions and it would give its observations after the entire report is read and a collective decision is taken,” a BCCI media release quoted him as saying.

    TV reports said both teams as well as Meiyappan and Kundra were likely to appeal against the verdict in the Supreme Court.

    Srinivasan, who headed the BCCI when the scandal hit the sixth edition of the IPL in 2013, told news channels he won’t step down as ICC chief despite the verdict.

    “I am not answerable to anyone. I am not involved in all of these,” he told NDTV.

    Srinivasan was earlier restricted by the court from running for another term as BCCI president owing to a conflict of interest. His company India Cements held a stake in the Chennai franchise.

    The hugely popular Chennai Super Kings, led by India’s one-day captain MS Dhoni, are the most successful team in the IPL, having won the tournament in 2010 and 2011, and finishing runners-up in 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2015.

    “MSD (Dhoni) is only 34 years old and in a few years will be bidding goodbye to international cricket,” former India captain Sunil Gavaskar told NDTV. “In any case, it will be tough to imagine an IPL without Dhoni.”

    Rajasthan Royals won the inaugural event in 2008 under the captaincy of Australian spin legend Shane Warne, but have failed to make the final since then.

    The three-member panel was also expected to deliver its verdict on IPL’s chief operating officer, Sundar Raman, but justice Lodha said that with a new investigator coming on board following the retirement of BB Mishra, it will take some more time to complete the investigation.

    The committee said its observations with respect to the much-talked about conflict of interest in the BCCI would be given after completing interactions with various stakeholders of the game.

    “Conflict of interest questions have been raised, once we complete the process of interacting with all the stakeholders, we will take a view on that. That exercise is not complete. This order is confined to determining the quantum of punishment to the two individuals and the franchises,” Lodha said.

    The panel, however, refused to comment on the criminal cases pending against the suspended officials, saying, “No aspect touching criminal liability has been decided by us.”

    On whether the two franchisees would be allowed to participate in case there is a change in ownership, Justice Lodha said that aspect was for the BCCI to decide.

  • IPL star-crossed? Team owners hit by bad luck

    IPL star-crossed? Team owners hit by bad luck

    MUMBAI (TIP): A leading Mumbai businessman, once interested in buying an Indian Premier League franchise today wants nothing to do with the glamorous cricket league. He believes IPL is bringing bad luck to team owners.

    Dramatic as it may sound, a quick look at where the owners have landed up post their IPL buys tends to lend credence to this expression of superstition. The businessman was insistent: “Vijay Mallya, Subrata Roy, Venkattram Reddy, the Maran brothers, even Lalit Modi – just look where they are. Isn’t it eerie?”

    IPL star-crossed statsAs facts go, the businessman isn’t off the mark. Subrata Roy is in jail, Reddy was arrested, Mallya is in trouble with the authorities, Maranowned Sun TV is having problems with the home ministry over security clearances, Lalit Modi is wanted by ED, and Sunanda Pushkar is dead. Even love has gone missing from Ness Wadia and Preity Zinta’s lives. And N Srinivasan has lost his prized BCCI president’s chair.

    Wait, not just Srinivasan. His son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, a mere cricket enthusiast according to his father-in-law, has been pulled up by the Supreme Court for talking to bookmakers and banned for life from cricket. Ditto with another part owner, Raj Kundra of Rajasthan Royals.

    Those who have bucked the trend are movie star Shah Rukh Khan, India’s biggest businessman Mukesh Ambani and his wife Nita, and the Delhi franchisee GMR.

    Heck, the league itself is now in massive trouble. The judgment delivered by the SC-appointed Justice Lodha committee has reduced the IPL to just six teams of which, again, some are in serious financial trouble.

    T Venkattram Reddy, the strapping boss of Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd, from Hyderabad, lost his team Deccan Chargers after cases of financial fraud with several banks began surfacing post 2011.

    And the owners who replaced the team in Hyderabad – Maran Brothers of Sun TV -are also struggling. Once the eyes and ears of former DMK chief M Karunanidhi, the Chennai media barons are no longer politically protected. Apart from the cloud over their TV channels, they have had to sell their airline SpiceJet back to the original promoter.

    Is this the reason why Parth Jindal of Bangalore-based JSW Group doesn’t want to get into the IPL?

     

  • IPL VERDICT: CSK & RR banned for 2 years – Meiyappan, Kundra suspended for life

    IPL VERDICT: CSK & RR banned for 2 years – Meiyappan, Kundra suspended for life

    The Supreme Court-appointed Justice Lodha Committee has suspended the owners of IPL franchises Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals from cricket for two years and banned team officials Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra for life on the grounds that the former were liable for the gambling sins of the latter.

    Both Meiyappan and Kundra were found guilty of betting on IPL matches while being IPL team owners and thus violated the IPL’s rules and regulations while also bringing the game into disrepute.

    Gurunath Meiyappan was held (CSK team official) guilty in the IPL spot fixing case and has been suspended for life.

    Meiyappan is the son-in-law of N Srinivasan, the current chairman of International Cricket Council (ICC) and former president of the BCCI.

    “Gurunath Meiyappan acted in violation of IPL laws. It is evident from the decision of SC that matter is serious. India Cements did not take any action against Meiyappan,” he added.

    “The fact that Meiyappan was integral part of CSK, he ought not to have indulged in corrupt practices. Any person who has true passion for the game will never be involved in betting. Gurunath has not only indulged in betting but he has brought disrepute to cricket & the IPL. Being the face if franchise, Gurunath’s actions reflects on the owners India Cements,” said Justice Lodha.

    Part owner of Rajasthan Royals – Raj Kundra – too has been found guilty of misconduct. The panel said Kundra’s actions have caused serious disrepute to BCCI and IPL and also the game of cricket. The SC panel declared him ineligible for participation in cricket for five years. Kundra too has been for suspended for life.

    Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals have been suspended for 2 years from participating in the 20-20 cricket tournament.

    The players of the banned teams can join any other team.

     

  • Indian team for Zimbabwe announced; Ajinkya Rahane named captain

    Indian team for Zimbabwe announced; Ajinkya Rahane named captain

    New Delhi: Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh staged a comeback to the ODI squad after a gap of four years as a second-string team was on Monday named for next month’s tour of Zimbabwe with the selectors opting to rest most of the senior players.

    Batsman Robin Uthappa also made a return to the ODI side, while paceman Sandeep Sharma and leg-spinner Karan Sharma were included in the team to be captained by Ajinkya Rahane.

    The selection panel headed by Sandeep Patil decided to give a break to Dhoni, Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma and Umesh Yadav while recalling veteran offspinner Harbhajan Singh and others. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was dropped.

    Also making a comeback to the 15-member squad are Murali Vijay, Manoj Tiwary, Kedar Jadhav, Robin Uthappa, Karn Sharma. Uncapped Karnataka batsman Manish Pandey and paceman Sandeep Sharma were also included.

    There is no specialist wicketkeeper. Uthappa, Rayudu and also Jadhav have been part-time stumpers and one of them will take the big gloves in Dhoni’s absence.

    “We had picked the best possible team that played at the World Cup and keeping the future series in mind, whether it is Sri Lanka, or South Africa home series, T20 World Cup or the Australia series, we have decided to rest a few players, who need urgent rest,” he said.

    India had stunningly lost 1-2 to Bangladesh in the short series earlier this month.

    The team comprises three specialist spinners in Harbhajan, Axar Patel and Karan Sharma, while the pace department will be spearheaded by Bhuvneshwar Kumar with Mohit, Sandeep Sharma and Stuart Binny for company.

    “We cannot say on long term basis but looking at Harbhajan’s performance in the last series, we feel that he deserves a chance on this tour,” Patil said about Harbhajan, who returned to the Test side in the tour of Bangladesh.

    “The selectors’ job is to pick the best possible combination. The rest is left to the team management. Once we select the team, it is left to the captain to make up the playing XI,” he added.

    The batting will largely rest on Rahane, Vijay, Rayudu, Tiwary, Manish Pandey and Kedar Jadhav.

    “It is a good team and picking youngsters is the way forward,” BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur said.

    Most of the senior players like regular ODI skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Test captain Virat Kohli, opener Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and off-spinner R. Ashwin, have been rested for the series.

    On Rahane being handed the captaincy Patil said, “We are happy with the way his career is shaping up. He has been the most consistent batsman for India and we want to see his other aspects. So, we have given him this opportunity and we will keep backing him.”

    India are scheduled to play three ODIs in Harare (July 10, 12 and 14) followed by a couple of Twenty20 Internationals (July 17 and 19).

    Squad:

    India: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Murali Vijay, Ambati Rayudu, Manoj Tiwary, Kedar Jadhav, Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Harbhajan Singh, Axar Patel, Karan Sharma, Dhawal Kulkarni, Stuart Binny, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohit Sharma, Sandeep Sharma.

  • ‘Generous’ BCCI gives big CLT20 relief to STAR

    MUMBAI (TIP): The BCCI has over the years acquired the reputation of a domineering big brother in dealing with its various partners, thanks to Team India’s massive popularity at home and abroad. From broadcasters, to various sponsors, franchise owners, overseas telecast rights holders, online partners and more, they have all, at some point of time, complained that dealing with the Indian cricket board hasn’t been easy .

    That was until recently when Star TV , the present right holders for all cricket played in India and sponsors of the Indian national teams, did the impossible. In a show of rare bonhomie, Star has managed to convince the BCCI to waive off $475m that they were scheduled to pay for the remaining four years of Champions League T20 event under the 10-year deal signed between BCCI and the ESPN-Star JV in 2009. In turn, Star will pay the BCCI, Cricket South Africa and Cricket Australia – the three boards which host the tournament -a collective compensatory figure of $300m to exit the tournament. ESPN-Star had bought the Champions League rights for a period of 10 years starting 2009 for a huge $975m after losing out on the Indian Premier League (IPL) rights that had been offered to MSM India in 2007-08. Six editions of the tournament have been played so far and four remain, including the 2015 season.

    Sources say the understanding between BCCI and Star to close the deal took place when N Srinivasan -the present International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman -was at the helm of affairs in BCCI. The announcement has been delayed only because financial parameters had to be worked out.

    The deal will help Star save on an estimated$90m per season that they had to shell out (four seasons remained) as part of the tripartite agreement between them and the three cricket boards for a property that clearly had few takers. Giving BCCI’s penny-pinching ways of conducting business, only the board’s bigwigs can explain why they decided to act on the misery afflicting their biggest business partner. “They’ve rarely shown such a generous side,” said a source. Star TV holds the Indian telecast rights, the national team’s sponsorship rights, the online media rights and the ground and title rights for the cricket played in India. Their partners in UK, Sky TV , hold the IPL’s international telecast rights.

  • No clarity on Ravi Shastri, new Team India coach

    No clarity on Ravi Shastri, new Team India coach

    NEW DELHI (TIP): BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur on May 20 said that a committee will be convened shortly to look into the appointment of the new India coach. However, he did not clarify whether Ravi Shastri would remain the team’s director of cricket for India’s tour to Bangladesh.

    “Regarding the coach, I would say that good things come to those who wait. We are in the process of finalising the coach of the team. It may take some time, but we want to pick the right person who can deliver for the Indian team in the coming years,” said Thakur.

    “We are in the process of finalising the cricket advisory committee and also shortlisting the name of the coaches who are available for India. Once that process is complete we will be in a position to take a final call.We are looking at all the positions whether it is that of the main coach or the support staff,” he added.

    Thakur reiterated the Board’s decision to invite former captains Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly as advisors to guide Indian cricket in the near future. “I think we are very clear that we want to utilise the services of former cricketers, who can give BCCI some time for the promotion of the game. They can share ideas and opinion, they can be advisors to the Board, and we want to involve them to improve the standard of domestic cricket and to improve our performance overseas,” Thakur said.

    Asked about the status of the Indo-Pak series that’s been a topic of hot discussion recently, Thakur said: “The Pakistan board chief (Shahryar Khan) came to India and met me in Delhi. He then went to Kolkata and met Mr Dalmiya (BCCI president). Thereafter, he met me again in Delhi. We are supposed to play a series in December as per the Future Tours Programme (FTP), but we are still at the discussion stage. There are many things to be decided. Once it’s all decided we will let you know.”

  • For me what matters are runs that Virat Kohli scores: Sourav Ganguly

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Former India captain Sourav Ganguly is not really bothered about whether Virat Kohli has attitude problems as what matters at the end of the day is his “class” and the “runs that he scores” for India.

    On the context of whether he on the same lines as BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya about Virat’s behavioural issues, Ganguly replied, “You need to ask the BCCI president as to what he said on Virat. To me, he is a terrific player. That’s how I look at it. He is a young boy. He is just 26. Therefore, more he will learn, better he will get. At the end of the day, he is a class act.”

    Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA), Ganguly said that Kohli should be judged for his qualities as a top class batsman and the amount of runs he scores for India.

    “I hope he continues to bat like the way he is doing right now. Every person is different and you got to treat them differently. I only look at the runs he scores and nothing else. I hope one day, he will lead the side to a World Cup title,” said Ganguly.

    The elegant left-hander however skirted the issue of him taking up the India coach’s role.

    “There is no point thinking about it. If you get the job, you do it. As of now, I am not aware of anything,” Ganguly didn’t want to entertain queries on his rumoured role.

    Asked about comeback chances of Yuvraj Singh, who has been out in the wilderness for more than a year now, Ganguly said that he expects the stylish southpaw to be more consistent in the ongoing IPL.

    “He (Yuvraj) has to be more consistent like he was in the past. The manner in which he played the last match
    (against MI), I expect more such innings. So I hope he finds his touch soon,” said Prince of Calcutta.

    He also presented a dead bat when asked about his views on IPL and corruption issues over the years as now he is an IPL Governing Council member.

    “I have only attended one IPL Governing Council meeting. It is too early for me to pass a judgement on anything but I am sure every member wants the game to be clean,” he concluded.

  • Speculation rages over Ganguly’s role as Team India coach

    Speculation rages over Ganguly’s role as Team India coach

    MUMBAI (TIP): Will another chapter be added to the famous Sourav Ganguly story? Over the past couple of days, there has been intense speculation that the ‘Prince of Kolkata,’ who led India with much success, could be the team’s next coach.

    Reports have said that the charismatic former India skipper has expressed interest in the job left vacant by Duncan Fletcher, whose term ended after the World Cup. Some even said that Ganguly had meet Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) president Jagmohan Dalmiya in this regard.

    On Thursday, Ganguly vehemently denied that he was in the fray. “I am hearing this for the first time. I don’t want to say anything on this. Let’s not speculate. Don’t jump the gun,” he said.

    He also denied speaking to Dalmiya about it. “No, who says all this? They (BCCI) haven’t spoken to anyone and neither have I spoken to them. That’s the truth and let’s stick to that. I meet him (Dalmiya) every day because he is the president of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) and I am the joint secretary of CAB,” he clarified.

    Interestingly, Ganguly also said that both he and Dravid had the skills to do the job. “Both can be (good coaches). Rahul was a great player,” he said.

    Curiously, Dalmiya, a known backer of Ganguly, didn’t deny the possibility completely. “It may happen. It is not ruled out. Till now, there is nothing on this. Who knows what will happen in the future? Let’s wait for the decision.

    We won’t hide anything from the media,” the wily 74-year-old said.

    BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur admitted that he and Dalmiya have had intense discussions in this regard and had sought the views of all the ‘stakeholders involved’.

    “Dalmiya and I will be speaking to senior board members and the senior players. We also sought the captain’s view and we can assure that the best “Dalmiya and I will be speaking to senior board members and the senior players. We also sought the captain’s view and we can assure that the best man available for the job will be appointed,” Thakur said.

    Sources said that Ganguly is more keen on the job of the team director, a position which was occupied by former India all-rounder-turned-commentator Ravi Shastri till the World Cup.

    However, it has also emerged that Shastri himself wants to continue in his new role. Apparently, the players are comfortable with Shastri’s working style.

    A master on technique, Dravid also enjoys the confidence of the ‘boys’ and had a healthy time with the team during his short stint as the batting consultant in England before the Test series last year.

    He has also been a ‘mentor’ of the Rajasthan Royals for the past couple of seasons -a role which he has performed successfully. The only glitch is that Dravid himself has expressed his inability to be with the team for long periods.

    In the mix are Sanjay Bangar, Bharat Arun and R Sridhar, who have assisted Shastri in his Team India job for the past few months. The positive role of the trio has been appreciated by everybody .

    The question is, if the board goes for a desi coach instead of a foreigner, will it be a superstar or a less popular but effective man?

  • Media barred from Indian team’s hotel

    AUCKLAND (TIP): The just-elected office bearers of the BCCI might have shown some interest in improving its relationship with the media, but the Indian cricket team management continued to keep its distance from the touring national media contingent with members of the fourth estate being banned from entering the hotel premises, here on Thursday.

    While in places like Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Hamilton, media did have access to the hotel lobby, the authorities of the ‘Heritage Hotel’ here are very strict about even letting media people be within 100 metres of the premises.

    It is not known whether the authorities are issuing a diktat by the Indian team management, which is known to keep the media at arm’s length, but there was an altercation between reporters of some electronic channels on Thursday when they were filming the proceedings of movements in the hotel from across the road.

    It was learnt that some of the security staff of the hotel came and told them to move from the area even though the public road or footpath is not under their jurisdiction.