BCCI has refused to send cricket teams to Asian Games to be held in Guangzhou in November 2010. Men will have a cricket series with New Zealand at that time. Women do not have any series but BCCI has not agreed to send women’s team also.
Some have called BCCI’s decision a national disgrace. Some say BCCI has put money before medals. Some suggest BCCI could send its B team. BCCI does not agree. In 1998 it sent two teams; one to Kuala Lumpur for Commonwealth Games, another to a series in Toronto. Both teams lost. Recently India’s B team in Zimbabwe lost two ODIs to Zimbabwe. Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of IOA, said he knew BCCI would not send cricket team to Commonwealth Games and therefore he did not include cricket in Commonwealth Games.
May be money is more important for BCCI and some cricketers than awards and Asian Games medals. Two cricketers did not think much of Padma Shri awards.
Some say it is not about money. BCCI is not agreeable to the whereabouts clause of World Anti-Doping Agency.
Someone said it is good if BCCI does not send a team. Cricketers get attention at all times. This time other athletes will get attention.
Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have agreed to send teams to Asian Games. Afghanistan, China and Oman cricket teams will play in Asian Games.
Sports ministry can select two teams. For men’s team cricketers who retired in recent years and those who are not likely to play in New Zealand series can be selected. Anil Kumble, Sourav Ganguly, Rohan Gavaskar, David Johnson, Noel Coward and such players can be in the team. There is no problem in selecting women’s team as they do not have any series at the time.
Link to e-book King – a novel: http://go4quiz.com/vincent/king
Link to e-book Pope – a novel: http://go4quiz.com/vincent/pope
Tag: cricket team
Pakistan Cricket Board and cricketers
On 10/3/2010 PCB imposed bans and fines on seven cricketers: Mohammed Yusuf, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Rana Naved, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal. This followed Pakistan’s disastrous tour of Australia. During the tour Pakistan’s performance was poor and it appeared some players did their level best to lose the matches.
Was there match-fixing? ICC anti-corruption unit was present during the tour but that doesn’t mean much.
Did the players lose the matches because they did not like each other? Was there groupism? Whatever be the reasons the players had to be disciplined and PCB acted.
Some former players have expressed shock against actions cricketers saying there should no ban for poor performance. The actions of players show it was more than poor performance. It was sabotage. Action against Shahid Afridi may not have anything to do with ball tampering as ICC had acted against him.
CNN-IBN conducted a poll “Is Pakistani cricket team the most mismanaged in the world?†and 90% voted yes, 10% no.
Disagreements between players are not new in Test cricket. When disagreements result in losses that is a matter for concern and people in authority need to act and that is what PCB has done.
Link to e-book King – a novel: http://go4quiz.com/vincent/king