‘Sehwag still a match-winner’

In fact,former BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele,never one to hold back his words,insists that the discarded superstar should not only be recalled but made an integral part of the Indian team in all three formats of the game.

“He is a batsman who has scored two triple hundreds and one near triple hundred in Test cricket. He’s a match-winner and according to me Sehwag should be in the Indian team in all three forms of the game as long as he is fit and available,” said Lele,at the CCI,while delivering the keynote address of the “Legends Club” on the 98th birth anniversary of former captain Vijay Hazare.

The outspoken former official claimed how he had played a role in Sehwag getting a firm foothold in the Indian team through the ODI format early on in Sehwag’s career.

“Selector Madan Lal used to bring up Sehwag’s name consistently in selection committee meetings chaired by Chandu Borde as the player used to score 40-50 regularly batting at 7 or 8 in domestic matches and after a lot of persuasion was included in the squad of 15 in the ODI series against Zimbabwe (December,2000),” Lele recalled.

“When captain Sourav Ganguly was banned from the Rajkot game for India due to over-rate penalty,Madan asked me to try and convince Borde to give Sehwag a chance. I persuaded Borde to include him in the XI and the latter agreed only on the condition that I take up the entire responsibility by saying he could not be contacted and I agreed. And Sehwag is still playing,” said Lele.

Lele also recalled legendary Sir Garfield Sobers’ lofty praise of Sehwag’s abilities during a talk show in Mumbai a few years ago when he said he was the Indian player he liked most for his attacking play.

“When I met Sandeep Patil before the Test series,I told him about Sehwag’s match-winning qualities and he agreed,” Lele added.

Speaking of selectorial shenanigans,Lele also revealed how the late Raj Singh Dungarpur,as BCCI president,had not okayed a squad to Zimbabwe in 1998 with Sourav Ganguly as its vice-captain following talks he had previously had with captain Mohammed Azharuddin and coach Anshuman Gaekwad,who weren’t overly fond of the Bengal stalwart’s attitude.

“There is a clause in the BCCI’s constitution that all touring squads need to be approved by the president. In one instance,when the squad was picked for Zimababwe (1998) with Azhar as captain,Raj Singh did not okay it as it had Ganguly named as vice-captain.”

“He confronted the selectors after having heard Azhar and Anshu speaking against Ganguly prior to the meeting and asked them how was he was named as vice-captain. It got changed and Anil Kumble became the vice-captain and the team was given the nod by the president,” Lele said.

With the IPL coming up next month,Lele also recalled his first meeting with former chairman of the league,Lalit Modi,and the manner in which he changed the face of the sport in the country.

“He brought in Rs 9500 crore to the Board’s coffers from 2008-10. They should have simply thrown him out if they wanted to punish him but should not have pursued the matter and forced him to leave the country,” said Lele while recalling his first few meetings with Modi.

“It was in 1994 or 1995,when he met me with Amrit Mathur,who was with the Indian Railways,and offered to sponsor Baroda (CA) for Rs one lakh per year and we accepted it. But on the eve of the next AGM of the BCCI,he wanted me to give him a letter to attend the meeting as BCA representative.