Tour manager's statement on controversy concerning the withdrawal of Sachin, Karthik from T20 tie is shocking
Tour manager's statement on controversy concerning the withdrawal of Sachin, Karthik from T20 tie is shocking
What happened last morning in Wellington gave Indian cricket a poor name at least in New Zealand whose Board is making an extraordinary effort to be good hosts.
Sachin Tendulkar and Dinesh Karthik were expected to be part of the exhibition T20 match between New Zealand Cricket Association and Australian Cricketers' Association. But according to a press release last morning, they were "withdrawn" from the match.
Here's what the release said: "New Zealand Cricket and the New Zealand Cricket Players Association have today been advised that Indian batsmen Sachin Tendulkar and Dinesh Karthik have been withdrawn by Indian team management from this afternoon's International Masters Match between the NZCPA Masters and the Australian ACA Masters, because of concerns over ICL player involvement in the match the curtain raiser to the Twenty20 International between New Zealand and India at Westpac Stadium, Wellington."
The concerned ICL player was Hamish Marshall, who represented Royal Bengal Tigers in the breakaway league last year.
Reacting to New Zealand Players Association chief executive Heath Mills' disappointment about the duo being withdrawn, Prof Shetty, the BCCI's chief administrative officer said the match was not in the tour contract. Nor did New Zealand Cricket write to the BCCI about this fixture.
Mills said that he had spoken to India coach Gary Kirsten about the duo's participation but Shetty said: "Kirsten cannot decide these things. If members of the tour party start deciding such things, there will be chaos."
Though the ICL factor could have been the primary concern of the BCCI, the tour contract has to be respected.
But where the BCCI's public relations seem to go for a toss is when one reads manager Niranjan Shah's comment about the incident. He was quoted as saying that the match was too insignificant to react. Too insignificant, Sir? This issue involved the participation of Tendulkar, a national treasure who hasn't had a match to gear up for the one-day series early next week. There was a certain goodwill connected to the exhibition match and Shah could have been more tactful. Such seemingly arrogant statements are unbecoming of a man who is the team's spokesperson on tour. Above all, Shah is a former Board secretary and has managed teams in the past. Back home, the BCCI on their part should have issued a statement clarifying their stance.
If the NZ players association is to be believed, the teamu00a0 management had agreed to field Tendulkar and Karthik.
Shah also told Cricinfo website on Thursday that there will not be a problem if Marshall had ended his association with ICL which he indeed has. When MiD DAY contacted ICL board member Kiran More in Baroda, he confirmed this.
India however ended up making a mockery of cricketing goodwill.
