Abandoned match stirs a hornet's nest
President of the International Cricket Council Jagmohan Dalmiya today deplored the abandonment of
the second one-day international between India and Sri Lanka yesterday at Indore for unplayable pitch.
Dalmiya said the matter would not be allowed to be swept under the carpetHe said abandonment of the match due to unfit condition anywhere in the world is deplorable and a step backward to the development of the game.
Dalmiya informed that the referee of that match, Justice Ahmed Ebrahim, had been advised to submit his report at the earliest. He said the Board of Control for Cricket in India has also been requested to forward the report of the umpires in the match Subrata Porel and Devender Sharma to the International Cricket Council. The board had also been asked to submit a detailed report on the match to the ICC immediately, Dalmiya said.
Dalmiya said the ICC would await reports from different quarters and see watch action
is taken by the BCCI before acting in the matter.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh today said the abandonment of the one-day cricket match between India and Sri Lanka in Indore yesterday has given the city and the state a bad name.
Talking to members of the Indore Press Club he said sentiments of thousands of cricket fans at the Nehru stadium were hurt by the decision.
The chief minister said efforts would be made to refund money to the spectators and that his government would write to the BCCI and the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association in this regard.
"I have already talked to the president of the association, Madhav Rao Scindia, last night, over telephone, in this regard,'' he added.
The chief minister said he would also direct the Madhya Pradesh Sports Council to try to sort out the issue amicably so that the tarnished image of the state and the city could be restored.
The issue has also elicited mixed reaction from officials and experts.
Bapu Nadkarni, former chairman of the selection committee said he was surprised to see the match end after only three overs but felt the captains have a right to decide whether their players are in
needless danger of getting hurt. He suggested that in future the Board of Control for Cricket in India select centres with two playable tracks.
Former selection committee chairman Naren Tamhane said he was dismayed at what happened at Indore but felt that if someone had the power to ensure that no danger is posed to cricketers then he should exercise it.
Former board president Purshottam Rungta, said he was shocked and felt sorry for the paying public. He said Indore had always provided good pitches in the past. He felt BCCI President Raj Singh
Dungarpur could take some preventive measures. But Singh is currently holidaying in London and is expected to return only next month.
But former captain Gulabrai Ramchand said the element of risk made no sense since players are well
protected nowadays. The match referee should have put his foot down and told everybody to get on the with the game, he said.
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