Dalmiya: Everybody has to be made accountable

MUMBAI, Oct 1: Jagmohan Dalmiya, the new President of the Board of Cricket for Control in India (BCCI), held a press conference in Chennai on Sunday.

The man, who has been the torchbearer for the globalisation of cricket in his capacity as the president of the ICC, finds his present role an honourable one.

He said, "It is an enormous responsibility, a challenging task.

I have been asked to arrest the slide Indian cricket is going through.

It is not an easy thing but I will try to find out what went wrong and find a cure for it.

I dont believe in blaming the predecessor." Dalmiya read out the BCCI media release and clarified a few points.

About the appointment of Sunil Gavaskar as the Chairman of National Cricket Academy, Dalmiya said, "I had a chat with Gavaskar last evening.

Despite his busy schedule he has agreed to accept this assignment.

He will be giving the time needed for the NCA.

It (Gavaskars busy schedule) may be a constraint, but is not an insurmountable one," said Dalmiya.

When asked about the reasons for Raj Singh Dungarpurs resignation, Dalmiya said, "Youve to ask Mr Raj Singh about it.

My predecessor told me in the morning that he had received Raj Singhs resignation letter.

I didnt go through the letter." Dalmiya is the man in full control of the BCCI and made it clear to all and sundry about the same.

"Cricket is passing through a crisis that all started with match-fixing.

At the moment we are looking at the 2002 Under-19 World Cup and the 2003 World Cup." He said that in spite of the fact of the best possible facilities, in the form of a foreign coach, sports trainer and consultants from Australia, the team had not delivered the goods.

Even though he was not directly critical of John Wright and Andrew Leipus, there were enough signals to suggest that strong actions will be taken to change the fortunes of the Indian cricket team.

"Something somewhere is missing...

maybe at the administration, coaching or players end.

We have not been able to achieve, we are still occupying the eight position in World cricket, just ahead of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh." Dalmiya made a firm statement, which is bound to have repercussions in the coming days, "Everybody has to be made accountable." When asked about the corrective measures that will be taken to stop the slide, he said, "Only performance can stop this.

More time has to be spend on this issue, one has to go to the root of the problem, locate it and take corrective measures." About the comeback of Shivlal Yadav as a national selector, Dalmiya was quick to clear the air,"it is for the zones to make a choice about the selector." Dalmiya said that top priority will be given to India A tours, which will provide the second string players with enough exposure to the rigours of playing at a higher level.

With regard to the domestic cricket, Dalmiya said that the present system will continue for two more seasons.

The two-tier system will come into being from the 2003-2004 season, and teams would be classified on the basis of the results of 2002-2003 season.

The BCCI President said that the Chairman of the technical committee Sunil Gavaskar had no access to any report by Geoff Marsh, who was hired by the board to look into the domestic structure.

"No such report was tabled in the General Body meeting of the BCCI." Dalmiya said that the Government had only barred the team from playing in Sharjah, Singapore and Toronto.

"That is just three countries, if the Government doesnt want it, we will have to abide, however, that doesnt stop us from going to other 103 countries." The new President was getting a bit carried away and was quick to realise that, he added, "globalisation is not the job of the Board, the board has nothing to do with globalisation, Indianisation of the game will happen, we should take the game to north-east...

that we will do!" Addressing the most serious issue in front of BCCI, match-fixing, Dalmiya made it clear that the Board would not have any second thoughts on reconsidering the ban imposed on players.

He said that the match fixing is a heinous crime and is like betraying ones country.

When asked about his name being linked to reports regarding the TV rights issue, Dalmiya went on the offensive.

"In which report my name has come, I have not seen, can you just get me (the report)? It is just in newspapers...

couple of newspapers have mentioned, I will sue them.

I filed a case one and a half years back but they have not come for the hearing." There was a quick mention about the PILCOM 1996 issue too, Dalmiya made it clear that it is just a difference of opinion between the board and Tax authorities that this can be sorted out.

PILCOM was only a management body of the three boards (Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka) put together and hence should not be taxed for the revenue made out of the World Cup 1996.

As a matter of fact the Punjab Cricket Association had moved three motions (PILCOM, Income tax 10 (23) and IS Bindras suspension) and all were withdrawn unconditionally during the AGM on Sunday.

As for the issue of the Income Tax exemption [10 (23)] that the BCCI was enjoying in the past being withdrawn with effect from 15th September 2001, Dalmiya said, "We have already got the exemption, it is a question of somebody going back and changing it.

Our contention is that it was a higher official in the Central Revenue Board of Taxation who has granted exemption.

Only somebody higher up or at the same level can withdraw it; the exemption that had been granted is under the statute of Government of India that we are entitled to.

It is not the BCCI that will suffer if the exemption is withdrawn, all 30 units will suffer, and everybody will suffer." The Board President said that he would give top priority in having a Media Manager for the BCCI that everybody is kept well informed.

Dalmiya has no problems in working with Niranjan Shah, who is loyal to the Muthiah faction.

The astute businessman was quick to recall that in 1991 he, as the Board Secretary, got along well with the then President Madhavrao Scindia.

Sadly, by the time the press conference came to an end the word slipped through that Madhavrao Scindia had been killed in a tragic air crash.

Kenya crush SA Country Districts side by 95 runs PIETERSBURG, Oct 1: Kennedy Otieno carried his bat for an unbeaten 156 as Kenya settled convincingly onto South African soil with a comfortable 95 runs victory over a South African Country Districts XI in Pietersburg on Sunday.

The Kenyans, the third team in a triangular tournament also involving South Africa and India which starts this week, hammered out 312 for five off their 50 overs and then bowled out the SACD for 217.

Otieno batted throughout the Kenyan innings for his runs which came off 139 deliveries with Ravindu Shah adding 47.

In the SACD innings, Steve Tikolo took three for 21, Brijlal Patel three for 30 and Collins Obuya two for 37 as Perry Puren top-scored for the local team with 59.

South Africans are the happy lot JOHANNESBURG, Oct 1: The difference between playing at home and away is best illustrated by Indias record.

For long now they have been considered as tigers at home and lambs abroad.

A telling example of this came about in the 1996-97 season.

After defeating South Africa in the Test series and then triumphing in the Titan Cup one day series at home, a confident Indian team embarked on their second tour of the Veldt within days after the completion of the South African tour of this country.

And the result was the reverse.

South Africa won the Test series 2-0 and defeated the Indians in the final of the Standard Bank tri-series which had Zimbabwe as the third team.

There were not many changes to the two sides that had clashed in India earlier.

The difference however lay in the conditions.

On the hard and bouncy tracks, the tourists found it hard to combat the menace of Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Brian McMillan and Lance Klusener.

And good bowlers as they undoubtedly were, Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad could not extract the same pace, bounce and lift, though they performed commendably to take 35 wickets between them.

The support they received from newcomers Dodda Ganesh and David Johnson though was woefully inadequate, while the overworked Kumble could not recapture the form he had displayed four years before.

Indeed Hansie Cronje made a valid point after the first Test, played on a pitch on which the bowlers reveled with short pitched deliveries which were almost dangerous for the batsmen.

"We have four fast bowlers, the Indians have only two," he said summing up the situation succinctly.

Like Cronje and Woolmer in India a few months before, Tendulkar too tried to lift the morale of his side by saying on the eve of the first Test that the South Africans could be defeated.

This however did nothing for the morale of his teammates, for in a shocking double collapse, India were shot out for 100 and 66 in the first Test at Durban.

Donald had been sent home from the Indian tour after the first Test so that he could have some rest and recover in time to unleash his thunderbolts against the Indians in more helpful conditions.

He did not disappoint taking five for 40 and four for 14.

The four man pace attack took 19 of the 20 Indian wickets with Srinath being run out in the second innings.

Rahul Dravids 27 not out in the second innings was the top score.

The South Africans had led off with modest totals of 235 and 259 but so meek was the Indian surrender that the final margin of victory was 328 runs.

Prasads medium pacers provided the one crumb of comfort for the Indians and he finished with a match haul of ten for 153.

Srinath supported him with five.

Mention must also be made of Nayan Mongias eight catches behind the stumps.

Beaten in three days, the Indians moved to Cape Town but there was no respite.

A week after the first Test, South Africa had wrapped up the series with a 282-run victory.

Kirsten (103), Klusener (102 not out) and McMillan (103 not out) had a whale of a time as the South Africans led off with 529 for seven declared.

The best part of the batting came about when Klusener and McMillan shared an unbroken eighth wicket partnership of 147 runs.

India lost five wickets for 58 but then in a truly breathtaking counter attack, Azharuddin (115) and Tendulkar (169) added 222 runs for the sixth wicket.

The Indians succeeded in narrowing the lead down to 170 but the South Africans methodically built upon it.

Declaring at 256 for six, the home team set the Indians a victory target of 427.

The Indians could not repeat the heroics a second time and were shot out for 144 with Donald, Adams and Pollock sharing the wickets.

The tourists, now playing to salvage their pride, very nearly pulled off a surprise victory in the final Test at Johannesburg.

Rahul Dravids 148 was the cornerstone of the Indian first innings.

With Sourav Ganguly coming good with 73, the Indians posted a challenging total of 410.

After half the team were out for 147, Pollock (79) led a strong rearguard action which saw South Africa reply with 321.

Srinath finished with five for 104.

Dravid (81) and Ganguly (60) once again starred as India, unexpectedly finding themselves in the drivers seat, declared at 266 for eight.

The South Africans, requiring 356 runs for victory, crumbled against Srinath, Prasad and Kumble.

At 95 for seven, a remarkable Indian win seemed around the corner.

But the depth in the South African batting paid off.

Daryl Cullinan (122 not out) and Klusener (49) added 127 runs for the eighth wicket and the home team managed to wriggle out, finishing at 228 for eight.

Rain and bad light which cut short play by about 2-1/2 hours, also played a part in thwarting Indias hope of a consolation win.

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