BCCI’s laxity leaves Lankans livid

It left the Lankan team manager Duleep Mendis in a state of rage. “Our relatives and friends back home have been provided with the Majorda Resort telephone numbers. Now we are riddled with needless problems. Aravinda (de Silva), for example, was expecting an important courier at Majorda,” Mendis told the The Indian Express.

The Lankans could not accept the explanation of the Goa Cricket Association (GCA) officials that accommodation in Majorda and other five-star hotels are booked a year in advance.

Mendis’s contention was that it was the problem of the BCCI and the hosting association. “We are only asking that the itinerary should be adhered to. When India come to Sri Lanka we provide them with five-star hotel accommodation and luxury buses to travel. Is it the job of the visiting manager to look out for suitable accommodation ? I don’t want to be harsh on the Indian board, but what we are asking for is basic comforts.” Mendis wondered why the BCCI could not stage the match in the main centres like Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Calcutta.

To make matters worse, the communication in Tulip is a nightmare. There are no direct dialling facilities from the room. In fact one of the Indian players was hunting till late last night for an STD connection to talk to his folks.

The point is: It’s the players who bring in the money. Even when the team does badly, the crowd throng the stadium. Surely, it’s not too much to expect five star comforts when they are raking in so much moolah for the board.

The Lankan team management revealed that they intend to take up the matter with the ICC. It is something that the BCCI could well have averted after the fiasco at Indore.

LIGHTNING STRIKE: The GCA, meanwhile, came under the threat of a strike by the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) staff, who wanted passes for tomorrow’s match. They blocked the entry and exit points before GCA president Dayanand Narvekar intervened and averted the crisis by bowing to their demand. The GCA had more problems to cope with when it was detected that duplicate tickets of Rs 100 were being sold at premium in the black market for Rs 300. However, illegal ticket holders are unlikely to get past the security at the stadium as their ticket does not have the map of India, which the original has.

There was complete chaos during practice sessions of the two teams with hundreds of people pestering the players for autographs.

It was a sight when Rajesh Chauhan hauled up one GCA official (the official tag hanging around his neck) who requested the player to pose for some photographs with a friend. Chauhan summoned the official, `confiscated’ his accreditation and then gave him a lecture on what officialdom is all about before handing over the profusely apologetic official his card.