Ford's rejection to figure in BCCI meeting

BANGALORE: A stunned BCCI said the Board's Working Committee meeting in Delhi on Tuesday will consider the situation arising out of Graham Ford's rejection of its offer to coach the Indian team for a year.

"We have received a communication from Graham Ford that he cannot accept our offer at short notice because of his commitments to Kent. He has said he's withdrawing as candidate for the position," BCCI Treasurer N Srinivasan told a packed media gathering.

"I have informed the BCCI President (Sharad Pawar) the matter. The matter will be decided at the Working Committee of the Board which as you all know is to meet in Delhi tomorrow," Srinivasan said.

Srinivasan said that the communication from Ford, who was chosen ahead of former England off spinner John Emburey on June 9 at Chennai, was received when the BCCI officials were at a meeting with four senior Indian players to resolve the long-pending contracts issue.

Asked why the board went ahead to announce that Ford has been chosen before the latter's commitment to take up the job, Srinivasan explained that the South African-born director of coaching at Kent had told them at the meeting that he needed time to inform when he can take up the job.

"He had said he will let us know when he can join," Srinivasan said.