LUCKNOW, March 23: This year's Wills Trophy cricket championships will be remembered more for the travel ordeals the participating teams went through rather than individual performances. Added to it was the confusion over the venue as even during the semifinals the teams were not sure where they had to reach for the final. So much for the efficiency of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).The two finalists - Board President's XI and last year's winners Mumbai - reached the venue after their matches at Bhilwara and Gwalior respectively, travelling almost the entire day, either by road, train or air. The Board XI led by Vikram Rathore was the first to land here this morning. After the match against Wills XI, the team reached Ajmer by bus last night, took a flight to Delhi and reached here by train this morning.Mumbai could make it to the city only in the evening.The KD Singh `Babu' Stadium wicket here looks no different on the eve of the final. It is hard and binding with no grass on it andshould suit batsmen. The two teams boast of some top-ranking bastsmen, including Vikram Rathore, Ajay Jadeja, Gagan Khoda, Pankaj Dharmani, Saba Karim, Sanjay Raul, Reetinder Sodhi and Mohd. Kaif (all from Board President's XI) and Vinod Kambli, Amit Pagnis, Amol Mazumdar, Jatin Paranjpe, Ajit Agarkar and Sairaj Bahutule. Once again it is bowling that Mumbai look more formidable than their opponents. Kuruvilla (rested in the semifinal), Paras Mhamrey, Sandeep Dahad, Nilesh Kulkarni, Ajit Agarkar, Sairaj Bahutule and Rajesh Sutar are some of the bowlers any team would envy.BAMBI BENEFIT: The final is being played for the benefit of Ashok Bambi, a Uttar Pradesh cricketer, who represented the State during 1975-86. TEAMS (from): Mumbai: Vinod Kambli (captain), Amit Pagnis, Rajesh Sutar, Amol Mazumdar, Jatin Pranjpe, Ajit Agarkar, Sameer Dighe, Paras Mhambrey, Abey Kuruvilla, Sairaj Bahutule, Nilesh Kulkarni, Sandeep Dahad, Mandar Phadke, Atul Ranade.Board President's XI (from): VikramRathore (captain), Ajay Jadeja, Gagan Khoda, Reetinder Sodhi, Pankaj Dharmani, Jacob Martin, Saba Karim, Sanjay Bangar, Sanjay Raul, M Kartik, Sandeep Sharma, Zakir Hussain, Mohd. Kaif, Jyoti Yadav and Shiaf Khan.Umpires: CR Vijayaraghavan and Pratap Kumar (both TN).
