Orissa cry foul over key decisions

A day after the humiliating defeat to Punjab, Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) today urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India to minutely go through the video recording of the Ranji Trophy Super League Group B match played at Mohali.

Expressing dismay over the performance of the Orissa team, OCA secretary Asirbad Behera said he was surprised over the manner in which five of the players were given out leg before wicket. He expressed surprise over VRV Singh’s haul of wickets, including a hat-trick. Singh had failed to take any wicket in the first innings. “We are not making any complaint against an individual. A review of the video footage will itself tell the truth,” Behera said, adding that the OCA suspected foul play. While welcoming the BCCI’s decision of introducing video recording of the matches, Behera in a letter said that doubts in the mind of people needed to be cleared whether Orissa players really performed badly.

He said the spirit of the team was high as it had already scored 323 runs in the first innings. He also suggested that all Ranji Trophy matches be held at neutral venues. “There will be no complaint of pitch tampering if the matches are played in neutral places,” he said. “We have no objection to the Orissa team playing in other states. Therefore, we demand conducting matches at neutral venues,” he said.