Shiv Sundar Das

Hemang Badani

Calcutta: Failure to communicate properly has landed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in an awkward position. At the centre of the storm is India A coach Sandeep Patil’s announcement that Shiv Sundar Das would only be captain during the first-class matches in England and that vice-captain Hemang Badani would take over the captaincy during the limited overs games.

Had circumstances been different, such an announcement would have made sense as Shiv Sundar’s credentials are suited to the longer version. However, that the decision was reached almost unilaterally is what has caused the controversy.

“Look, this was decided in the presence of Team India coach John Wright, Patil and one of my colleagues — Kiran More — during the Bangalore camp,” informed chief selector Brijesh Patel, when contacted (in Bangalore) by The Telegraph late Tuesday.

By Patel’s own admission, the dual captaincy issue wasn’t discussed by all five selectors — something that ought to have been done. In any case, nobody spoke of separate captains during the selection committee meeting here last month.

Moreover, why wasn’t this change made public before the squad left for England a few days ago?

Understandably, then, East’s Pranab Roy is upset. “I know nothing at all… In fact, I’m quite taken aback by the news and will raise the issue with the BCCI president,” he remarked, also late Tuesday.

OCA upset

Agencies add from Cuttack: Meanwhile, the Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) Tuesday strongly reacted to news reports, quoting Patil as saying that Shiv Sundar would not captain the side in the limited overs matches and sought an inquiry into the matter.

Expressing surprise over the reported appointment of Badani as skipper for the one-dayers, OCA general secretary Asirbad Behera said the issue of a second captain was never raised during the entire selection process and the tr aining camp.

In a letter to BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, Behera sought to know as to when and by whom the decision to have a second captain was taken.

India A start today

India A commence their six-week-long cricket tour of England with a one-day match against British Universities at Durham Wednesday, rekindling fond memories of this day two decades ago when India registered their only World Cup title triumph at Lord’s, adds a report from London.

“On June 25, 20 years back we won the World Cup. It brings back great memories when we open the tour,” India A coach Sandeep Patil, who was a member of the Indian squad in 1983, said here last night.

The Indians will play 11 matches but the most eagerly awaited is the one against the touring South Africans at Arundel, a three-day game starting on July 19.

Barring medium pacer Avishkar Salvi, who had split the webbing of his finger earlier, all are fully fit. “Even Salvi is also fit to play the first match, but we will take a decision on the day of the match,” the coach said.