Kiwi media calls Indian team manager Niranjan Shah 'a goon'

Updated on: 16 March,2009 08:29 AM IST |
Clayton Murzello | clayton@mid-day.com

Team manager Niranjan Shah has been called a "travelling goon" by the New Zealand media for supporting the BCCI's stance on the Indian Cricket League.

Normally by now, a cricket tour involving India would have had its fair share of controversy concerning verbal battles between captains and coaches from both camps. The only ugly duel we've seen is the Ishant vs Ryder pangau00a0in the final ODI.

With New Zealand refusing to compete with their neighbours Australia when it comes to shooting from the lip, hip and letting it rip, things have been pretty cool on the team front. It's been a series played in the best of spirits and match referee Ranjan Madugalle has not had much to do. So far so good! But things are getting spicy on the other side of the boundary rope.

Indian cricket cannot function without surprises; cannot breathe without the air of controversy.

The Board's allergy to the Indian Cricket League has only underlined this fact. As much as some in the BCCI refuse to understand what the big fuss was all about when Sachin Tendulkar and Dinesh Karthik were not allowed to compete in a charity 20-20 match which involved an ICL player, the fact that these players did not take the field caused some heartburn to NZ Cricket who have gone out of their way to be good hosts.

New Zealand Cricket Players' Association were bewildered when Tendulkar and Karthik did not take the field since according to them, they were promised that the duo would play. When journalists asked Shah for a comment, he came up with a 'gem': "It's too insignificant for me to react."

The latest controversy about McMillan being at the receiving end of a BCCI objection to his commentary duties is laughable.

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