Veteran Eden curator admits being sidelined

Veteran Eden Gardens curator Prabir Mukherjee yesterday said he will not have much of a say in preparation of the pitch for the third India-England Test, beginning December 5, with the East Zone curator Ashish Bhowmick being brought in to oversee the ground

While the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) called it a routine affair, Bhowmick's appointment comes in the wake of Mukherjee's refusal to prepare a rank turner which Indian skipper MS Dhoni had asked for.

"He (Bhowmick) is my boss as he will be overseeing my work here," is how a dejected Mukherjee described his relation with the East Zone curator who reached the city yesterday and would be participating in the pitch preparation.

Prabir Mukherjee

"Mukherjee's position hasn't changed a bit. Bhowmick is from our zone and it's almost customary for him to drop in before a Test match to discuss wicket-related issues with Mukherjee.

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"Since India lost badly in Mumbai, people are trying to make issue out of something very ordinary," CAB president Jagmohan Dalmiya said. After India suffered a humiliating 10-wicket loss to England on a spinning track in the Mumbai Test, Dhoni had insisted for a similar rank turner for the Eden Test too. The demand prompted Mukherjee to ask for a written instruction from the BCCI and described Dhoni's demand as "unethical".

Though Mukherjee refused to judge the nature of the Eden pitch for the upcoming Test, CAB joint-secretary Sujan Mukherjee said the wicket will be prepared keeping "home advantage" in mind. The veteran curator who has prepared pitches for 14 Tests in the past also hinted at hanging up his boots soon.u00a0