Dungarpur

Calcutta: Even if Sourav Ganguly is recalled for the Test series (not the ODIs, too) in Pakistan, he will almost surely have to contend with Raj Singh Dungarpur.

A known Sourav-baiter, Dungarpur is almost certain to be named manager for the January 6-February 20 tour.

The team management includes the manager and, so, the former captain ? assuming he’s picked ? may have to encounter much coldness in the dressing room.

Of course, Sourav’s equation with Team India coach Greg Chappell needs no elaboration.

While Dungarpur himself didn’t confirm anything (“just wait for a day or two”), The Telegraph’s sources in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said “nobody else” was under consideration.

“As far as I know, only the announcement remains? To my mind, that’s a formality,” a well-placed source remarked late on Tuesday.

A former BCCI president, Dungarpur was the manager on the 1984-85 tour when Indira Gandhi got assassinated on the day of the Sialkot ODI.

Meanwhile, like before the last tour of Pakistan (2003-04), a joint delegation of the Government and the BCCI is going to make a security assessment before the formal clearance comes through. So far, it’s conditional.

That was decided after a high-level meeting in New Delhi (on Tuesday) between the BCCI brass and key officials, including Union home secretary V.K. Duggal.

The delegation will feature two BCCI nominees ? executive secretary in-charge Prof. Ratnakar Shetty, who was the manager on the last tour, and the communications director-designate for this one, G.S. Walia ? and three from the Government.

The Government’s representatives for the December 24-28 recce trip are to be named on Wednesday.

One of them, one understands, is going to be a senior Delhi Police officer. He will also be the security coordinator during the tour.

There were two such coordinators in 2003-04. Pakistan, by the way, didn’t come with any when they toured India earlier this year.