The fire within

The Board of Control for Cricket in India-Vengsarkar standoff continues as both sides refuse to say ceasefire

MUMBAI: Will Dilip Vengsarkar’s resignation be accepted? When the question was put forward to a board official, a day after DNA reported that the chief national selector had threatened to resign, the top functionary retorted back: “Where is the resignation?”

While Vengsarkar’s resignation may have brought the simmering tensions between the board and the selectors to the fore, it may well be a point of no return for the ‘Colonel’ and who has his own personal problems to address.

Few in the Board are likely to shed tears if Vengsarkar were to stick to his guns. Only Sharad Pawar is known to back him in the BCCI and remains the only point of reference for both sides.

The Board officials, DNA spoke to, have stated that there will not be a ‘full-scale rollback’ on their seven-point advisory to the selection committee. A compensation to Vengsarkar - for not writing his columns - is ‘ruled out.’

The only measure that ‘could be considered’ is the freeze on the selectors’ overseas tour. The Board had cut out the provisions for sending one on each tour abroad. On Sunday, Rajeev Shukla, speaking on behalf of Pawar, said that the Board would look into Vengsarkar’s demands. He refused to give any assurance.

But Vengsarkar himself, it appears, is in no mood to budge and will not go without a fight. “A climbdown is unlikely,” said a source close to the chief selector, who remained incommunicado whole of Sunday.

He has also not yet confirmed to the Board if he will attend the December 5 selection committee meeting, the latest bone of contention.

Vengsarkar, it is learnt, wanted to have the meeting on December 4, immediate lifting of ban on the overseas tour and also restoration of his right to write columns or compensation in lieu of it.

He also wants ‘proper’ treatment from the Board officials. He even named secretary Niranjan Shah in his oral complaint to Pawar, whom met on Saturday evening in Kolkata. Shah, however, said he has no personal animosity against the chief selector.

It is alleged that Vengsarkar’s dropping of the ‘R’ word did not elicit the response he expected from Pawar and left in a huff.

A day later, Vengsarkar did not entertain many guests at his residence. His colleague Ranjib Biswal, who is in the city to watch the Mumbai-Maharashtra Ranji match, was one of the few to have visited him during the day.

The ball is now in Pawar’s court. Only ‘an assurance’ from the Board president, said a source close to Vengsarkar, could pacify him. Pawar has apparently told him to hold back his resignation till the Dec 5 meeting but Vengsarkar does not seem to consider that as any kind of assurance.