The focus is back on the Ferozeshah Kotla track

The Ferozeshah Kotla pitch will once again be the centre of attention when the India vs England one-day international is played here on March 28.

The Ferozeshah Kotla pitch will once again be the centre of attention rather controversy when the India vs England one-day international is played here on March 28. In the space of less than 12 months, the Kotla will be the venue to conduct a third match, having hosted a ODI game against Pakistan April and a Test match against Sri Lanka in December last year.

A lot of mud-slinging took place among the Delhi and District Cricket Association DDCA officials prior and after the Indo-Pak ODI in April last. Radhey Shyam Sharma was made the curator for the Pakistan game. But he was removed under controversial circumstances. As a result, former Test opener and one of the vice-presidents of the association, Chetan Chauhan, was made the grounds chairman for the Test against Sri Lanka in December last.

But nobody knows who is in-charge for the preparation of the pitch for the forthcoming match against England. 8216;8216;I have no idea who the pitch curator this time is,8217;8217; confided Chauhan this evening. In fact, he was not even aware of the visit of BCCI pitch committee member for north zone Daljeet Singh to the Kotla on Tuesday afternoon. 8216;8216;I don8217;t know on what capacity he visited the Kotla or who invited him,8217;8217; was all that Chauhan could say. 8216;8216;I think I was made chairman of the ground only for the Lanka game,8217;8217; he added, refusing to elaborate.

Radhey Shyam, too, is upset that he has been given no role in the preparation of the Kotla wickets although he8217;s drawing monthly salary from the DDCA as ground administrator. 8216;8216;I8217;ll resign if I am not told what my duties are regarding ground preparations,8217;8217; comp-lained Radhey Shyam this evening.

Daljeet Singh made a 8216;customary8217; visit to the Kotla, according to DDCA sports secretary Sunil Dev, who spent over 30 minutes with the BCCI official even as it was raining. 8216;8216;It was a preliminary visit. He Daljeet will come again on March 23 for another inspection. He has told us a few things, like how the pitches should be watered. He seemed happy with the renovation work that is going on to increase the seating capacity at the stadium,8217;8217; Sunil Dev said.

The fact is till date, the DDCA has not appointed any curator for the India-England game. 8216;8216;Our groundsmen are preparing the wickets under instructions. They8217;ll follow what the BCCI official had told them today,8217;8217; Sunil Dev explained. No one has so far been officially made the curator, though.

Well, there seems to be no end to the number of controversies that hit the DDCA, both off and on the field.