Kapil Returns to BCCI

 

 

 

New Delhi: Kapil Dev is certainly a relieved man after being back into the BCCI fold but the legendary allrounder still has reservations if one terms his comeback as getting "amnesty from BCCI."

"I never understood whether the word amnesty is correct or not. May be I am not very intelligent but I checked the dictionary to find the meaning," said Kapil with a tinge of sarcasm on the sidelines of relaunch function of popular sports magazine 'Sportstar'.

People had associated the word 'rebel' with Indian Cricket League but the 53-year-old said that his stint at the unsanctioned league had been a learning experience for him.

"Whatever people might think, but personally I have learnt a lot. Now I feel more experienced and confident about taking up any responsibility that I am entrusted with," the former India captain said.

He agreed that there were misunderstandings with the BCCI but those have been sorted out now.

"I have always believed that there isn't a single thing that can't be sorted out if two people sit across the table and talk it out. Even Indo-Pak issue could be sorted out if there is proper dialogue. I have never disregarded BCCI as it was, and will remain, my parent body. As a sportsman, my aim was to help sportspersons grow. The idea is to see what is good for sport rather than what's good for individuals," Kapil said.

When asked whether he is expecting any specific role from the Board, Kapil was non-committal,"I don't know. It's for them to decide."

Sehwag-Dhoni spat

NAGPUR: He has this no-airs persona about himself - no celeb tantrums and no pretensions. From 'playing the shots' as one of India's most stylist batsmen to now 'calling the shots' as a commentator, Sanjay Manjrekar has slalomed a lot over last two decades.

Nothing much, though, has changed the way he thinks about the game. He has an eagle eye on the Indian cricket but rarely does he make heavy weather of the game.

While the gossip mills are working overtime regarding the tumultuous relationship between MS Dhoni and Virender Sehwag, Manjrekar maintained that the 'spat' was merely a storm in the teacup.

"I feel these things are custom-made by the media. When the actual on-field cricket is not active, these reports always crop up. Gossips always fill in the slot allotted for cricket. I honestly think the media is blowing the issue out of proportion," said Manjrekar while talking to the reporters on the sidelines of a function organized by IMA on Sunday.

Manjrekar also asserted that once the game will resume, the controversy will die its natural death. "Even the people reading stuffs like these will forget the issue once the cricketing season starts next month," he added.

When asked about India's chances in the forthcoming Twenty20 World Cup, given that it's happening in the sub-continent, Manjrekar again kept it simple. "I feel Twenty20 World Cup is kind of a lottery. It's such a small tournament lasting just two weeks, that you just cannot predict who's going to win.

"I also feel that T20 World Cup has arrived quite early. We should have given a bit more time for T20s to establish as a concept before dishing out the World Cup," he added.

Manjrekar has always been of the opinion that the BCCI should use Rahul Dravid's cricketing brain for the betterment of the game.

"He (Dravid) is a role model for every youngster. Though we hardly read him opining about certain things, I believe he has a great cricketing brain. Once he'll be given charge of certain things, I am sure, he'll do tremendously well," said Manjrekar.

The BCCI is not a big fan of DRS and so is Sanjay Manjrekar. "I think DRS shifts the focus to the accuracy of umpiring decisions than the actual game. It would have been a wise idea to introduce the DRS had the success percentage of umpiring decisions been 50% or 60%. Right now, it's above 94%. Then, what is the need of DRS," he signed off.

Tsolekile to replace Boucher for England tour

Boucher was forced to retire from international cricket on Tuesday after suffering a lacerated eyeball during South Africa's tour match against Somerset.

Always under Boucher's shadow, 31-year-old Tsolekile made his Test debut against India in 2004 but was left out of the squad since playing his third and last Test against England in the same year.

"Thami has done very well with both the Lions (his South African franchise) and South Africa A for a couple of seasons, culminating in his South African record eight catches in an innings this past week," CSA selection convener Andrew Hudson said.

"With AB de Villiers also able to fill the role of wicketkeeper in the Test series it gives the tour selectors options in this important position," he added.

South Africa will play three Tests against England with the first Test set to start on July 19 at The Oval in London.

Mark Boucher Eye Injured

Mark Boucher's participation for the Test series against England is in doubt after he suffered a "significant injury," to his left eye during the tour match against Somerset. Boucher had to leave the field at the end of the 46th over when a googly from Imran Tahir hit the stumps and a dislodged bail struck Boucher in the left eye. Photographs showed Boucher bleeding from the eye as he left the field.

He will undergo surgery on Monday night to determine the seriousness of the injury - which was diagnosed as laceration of the sclera, the white part of the eye - but it looms as a potential career-ender as Boucher said the tour of England would be his last.

"I don't think he will be ready for the first Test and I don't know about the series," Moosajee said. "I would rather like to see the outcome of the surgery first before saying anything further. At the moment, the concern is more Mark Boucher the patient, rather than whether he is going to partake in this tour."

Moosajee said Boucher was in his usual "fighting spirits," but in a lot of pain. "When he got hit it caused dizziness out there and he had to helped off. They have also given him something to control the pain before he has the surgery."

However, South Africa appeared resigned to being without Boucher, who had been set to reach 150 Tests at Lord's, after bowling coach Allan Donald said they were "gutted," by the news. "I've never seen Mark Boucher as fit, as motivated or as determined for one series," Donald said. "This is his last series and he wants to go out on a high with the 150th Test. The way he led in Switzerland was magnificent. His leadership and what he has in team meetings is something else. I'm sure Mark would want us to refocus but this is a massive loss for us."

Donald named AB de Villiers as "a more than accomplished keeper," who could do a stand-in job, as he did in this match, but it is expected that South Africa will call up a replacement wicket-keeper if needed. Thami Tsolekile, who was nationally contracted from April 1, is the likeliest candidate.

Tsolekile recently played for the South Africa A side in the two unofficial Tests against Sri Lanka A and has also been named in the squad to travel to Ireland to shadow the senior side from the third Test.

Tsolekile last played for South Africa in 2004 when he represented the country in three Tests including one against England at Port Elizabeth. Since then, he has changed franchises, from the Cape Town based Cobras to the Johannesburg team, Lions, where he has spent the last three seasons. Tsolekile was earmarked as the successor to Boucher, who indicated he would retire after the England series, when he was awarded a central contract and was chosen to play for the A side.

He equalled the South African record for the most catches in a first-class innings when he claimed eight in the first innings of the match against Sri Lanka A, which ended in a draw on Monday.