CA thanks RCA, promises to reciprocate the goodwill

Cricket Australia thanked the Rajasthan Cricket assoc for the facilities provided and hospitality shown to the Aussies team.

Cricket Australia thanked the Rajasthan Cricket Association RCA for the high standard facilities provided and hospitality shown to the Ricky Ponting-led team, camping in Jaipur for a week since Monday.

8220;It is important for any touring cricket team to acclimatise to the conditions before a big series and we8217;re grateful to the Rajasthan Cricket Association for the hospitality they8217;ve extended to Australia and the high quality of the facilities on offer at RCA8217;s Academy in Jaipur,8221; CA8217;s acting CEO Michael Brown said in a statement. Brown said the gesture would be reciprocated when India next tour Down Under.

8220;We look forward to extending the same courtesies to India when they next tour Australia as part of the successful and ongoing bilateral relationship between Cricket Australia and the BCCI,8221; he said.

The Australians, who landed in India a week before the official start of the tour, were provided with the top-quality training facilities by the RCA but BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty had objected to it by saying they were being obliged more than expected.

8220;We won8217;t get this kind of facilities if India went abroad. We would have got the bare minimum. RCA is being a little too obliging to the Australian team, they have done more than what a host country will do,8221; Shetty had said in Mumbai. BCCI Vice President Lalit Modi, however, defended the RCA.

8220;I don8217;t see anything wrong in it. This is a unique year in that Australia had time on their hand with the cancellation of the Champions Trophy. They wanted to get acclimatised to our conditions and wickets and approached me as RCA president and I saw no reason to deny them.8221; Modi told a press conference in Mumbai on Thursday.

Ponting and Co. will practice in Jaipur till Sunday. They will fly to Hyderabad for a four-day practice match against the BCCI President8217;s XI starting October 2. The series opener starts in Bangalore from October 9.