Lele defends BCCI

NEW DELHI, SEPT 18: Despite all the muck-raking over Sachin Tendulkar and Ajay Jadeja's plans for Toronto, the secretary of the Board of ...

NEW DELHI, SEPT 18: Despite all the muck-raking over Sachin Tendulkar and Ajay Jadeja’s plans for Toronto, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Jaywant, Lele categorically denied that the “Board went wrong in handling the situation.”

“We did not go wrong anywhere,” he told newsmen who sought his views on the status of the four Toronto-bound players. “The Sahara Cup is a bilateral tournament where changes are possible and allowed. We have gone through the ICC (International Cricket Council) and World Cup rules. Some give-and-take concessions are always possible and granted in such tournaments. I don’t think it was such a big issue to be blown out of proportion,” he said.

Lele said the issue of sending replacements was “handled by the Board president, Raj Singh Dungarpur. “I did not discuss anything either with IMG (the sponsors of the tournament) or the Pakistan Cricket Board.”

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“Anyway, Tendulkar is now scheduled to leave for Toronto tonight and join the rest ofthe team for the last game against Pakistan on Sunday,” he said, putting to rest the uncertainty over the former captain’s departure.

On the splitting of the teams for the Sahara Cup and the Commonwealth Games which led to a dismal performance in both the competitions, Lele said, “it was a foregone conclusion when we decided to split the teams. Anyway, things are over. We should talk about the future.”

MINI WORLD CUP IN JEOPARDY: Lele expressed doubts on the mini World Cup scheduled for next month in Dhaka in light of the current flood situation in Bangladesh. “The ICC is closely monitoring the situation and will take a decision,” he said adding that an outbreak of epidemic was apprehended in the aftermath of the floods.

Asked if India would volunteer to host the tournament if needed, he said, “We are not equipped. Moreover, October is not the right time to hold matches in many places in India.”

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