BCCI urges Vengsarkar to withdraw quit threat

The cricket board has urged chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar to withdraw his threat to resign and preside over the team selection.

The Indian cricket board has urged chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar to withdraw his threat to resign and preside over the team selection meeting on Wednesday.

The board said on Monday the former skipper was free to quit after Vengsarkar was angered by certain guidelines for selectors and a refusal to pay him compensation after being asked to stop his syndicated newspaper column.

The board president Sharad Pawar hinted at a softening of its stance on Tuesday and said senior members would meet on Dec. 16 to discuss salaries for selectors as well as Vengsarkar’s demand.

“It is our desire to resolve these issues,” he told a news conference. “It is the responsibility of the selectors, their top-most priority is to select the proper teams.”

Pawar said there were legal hurdles to paying selectors as some of them were also office-bearers but the issue would be addressed with sincerity.

Vengsarkar has threatened to boycott the meeting in Bangalore to name the squad for the final test against Pakistan starting on Saturday due to the controversy which has dragged on for a month.

The five-man panel are also due to name the squad for the test series in Australia starting on Boxing Day.