Another controversy surrounded Chief Selector Dilip Vengsarkar following reports that he had been directed to select India's team after discussions over telephone.
NEW DELHI: Another controversy surrounded Chief Selector Dilip Vengsarkar on Wednesday night following reports that he had been directed to select India's team for the third cricket Test against Pakistan after discussions over telephone, a move he says has humiliated him.
Vengsarkar, who had a run-in with the Cricket Board last week over his newspaper columns, has reportedly been told by the BCCI to discuss the team selection with four other selectors over telephone ahead of the third Test beginning in Bangalore from December 8.
No one from the Board was willing confirm or deny reports about this directive to Vengsarkar, who was quoted by a TV Channel as saying that he was humiliated by the BCCI's behaviour and that it would be the first time that a team would be selected over phone.
"I have no comments to make on this," BCCI Secretary Niranajn Shah said when asked about the development.
The reports also said that Vengsarkar had requested the BCCI to shift the venue for the selection committee meeting and the Board responded with this directive.
The apparent reason for the BCCI's unprecedented directive was that selectors would end up missing the ongoing Ranji matches if they gathered for the selection committee meeting in Bangalore.
The latest development marked a new twist to the ongoing tussle between Vengsarkar and BCCI officials.
Just a week ago the BCCI and Vengsarkar had resolved the issue of writing newspaper columns with the former Indian captain giving a "categorical assurance" that he would not write articles.
The BCCI, which was to serve a show cause notice to Vengsarkar for continuing to write columns flouting its directive, decided not to take any action after his climbdown.
The BCCI had first threatened to issue a show cause to the chief selector for continuing to defy the ban as his columns appeared in Hindi daily 'Amar Ujala' and Marathi paper 'Sakal'.
The BCCI move triggered of speculation that Vengsarkar may quit his post as Chairman of selection committee.
The BCCI had also issued a seven-point guideline to the selectors which not only barred them from writing columns but also sitting in the Indian dressing room during international matches.
According to the guidelines, only one selector is allowed to witness an international match while others have been asked to watch the domestic matches.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}