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'If one person backs out, shame on him'

Ashish Shukla

For a good two months, the question that has haunted the media is whether ripping apart a team to ensure commitments at both Toronto, for the Sahara Cup, and at Kuala Lumpur, for the Commonwealth Games, was a good idea.

What has incensed most Indian cricket lovers is the thought that the Board of Control for Cricket in India had not seen the impending collision of schedules.

Why had no attempt been made to seek a postponement of the Sahara Cup so that dates did not clash and so that the best possible team went to Toronto.

But, as some quarters suggested, dates couldn't be postponed since this was the period to which the boards of India and Pakistan, the International Management Group, the Toronto Cricket Skating and the Curling Club had originally agreed to.

Said Ron Aldridge, chairman of the Sahara Cup organising committee: "It was generally agreed that the tournament would take place in the second week of September. There were two reasons for this -- one, it starts to turn snowy in Toronto in the final week of September and, two, these are the dates when both India and Pakistan do not have any international engagementa.

"Further, we also have a very busy club season for cricket in Toronto during the entire summer. It isn't possible for the ground to be freed at any other time in the summer."

"Not true," said Synrich in response to this question, at separate times on separate dates. "The agreement which was reached by the two boards (India and Pakistan) and by us (IMG) was that the tournament could be held anytime between August 15 and September 30. These were the block dates."

Synrich was forthcoming on the subject. "In fact, we decided to notify the two boards on these dates way back on December 15 last year."

Then how did the goof-up happened. Did not the Board's tour and programming fixtures committee see the impending clash of dates? Since it was well-known at least a year in advance that cricket was being part of the Commonwealth Games in September, why was no effort made to avoid the clash.

"In fact, the Indian board did approach us," says Aldridge. "But, as I said, moving the dates was not easy, because of other considerations. Besides, you must also understand for such a thing to happen, we, the cricket people, would need to take the members of this club into confidence. Such a move, at sudden notice, is not possible."

Having left the matter to the last minute, the Indian board, in panic, tried is damndest to avoid the sticky problem. But since neither the Toronto club or the Indian government could help, and owing to other compelling reasons, the board had no option. A war of words between Jaywant "Lie Lie" and Randhir Singh, the respective voices of the Indian board and the Indian Olympic Association, further aggravated the matter.

It hasn't pleased the Pakistani board, the media or the main sponsors, the Sahara Group of Industries. Most importantly, the IMG too is not too pleased.

"How could IMG allow the Indian board to go back on its words, and commitment, so shamelessly," I asked Synrich. " Does not it hurt IMG, the television coverage and its commitment to spot advertisers and sponsors?"

Synrich considered the question, looked at me narrowly and replied, "I will not answer this question directly. But I will reply it hypothetically. If it is an agreement between a group of people and one person backs out, shame on him."

Synrich could not have been more direct.