The Indian cricket board’s fiat to two of its contracted players, senior batsman VVS Laxman and young leg-spinner Piyush Chawla.
Dougie Brown says fiat on Laxman, Chawla is akin to ‘cutting off the nose to spite the face’
MUMBAI: The Indian cricket board’s fiat to two of its contracted players, senior batsman VVS Laxman and young leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, to refrain from rubbing shoulders with Indian Cricket League (ICL) players in Hampshire and Nottinghamshire hasn’t gone down well in the English county circuit.
Dougie Brown, chairman (cricket) of the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), the representative body of first-class cricketers in England and Wales since 1967, believes the Board of Control for Cricket in India is trying to set an unhealthy precedent.
Brown told DNA on Friday, that the BCCI’s decision was akin to ‘cutting off the nose to spite the face’. “It is a needless and unfortunate decision on part of the Indian cricket board to deny their players the opportunity to play in one of the most competitive and challenging environments. Over the years, Indian players, including their finest captains, have played in the county circuit and honed their skills and enriched cricket in England,” Brown said.
He further stated that the BCCI’s objection to ICL players being teammates of contracted Indian players is only devaluing the standard of the game. “It’s time the stakeholders of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the ICL sit down and sort out the issues. At the end of the day, no player must be stopped from earning his livelihood to support their families,” Brown added. Only three English counties — Somerset, Middlesex and Essex — don’t have any ICL players in their line-ups.
India or county, says Shah
However, BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah told DNA that they wouldn’t change their stand. “We have advised them (Laxman, Chawla) not to join Hampshire or Nottinghamshire or any other county that has ICL players,” he said. When asked how seriously the BCCI expects the players to heed to their advice, Shah said: “They have to decide if they want to retain their India contracts or play county cricket,” Shah said.
A Nottinghamshire spokesperson told DNA that they were waiting for an official statement from the BCCI regarding Laxman’s availability. “At this moment we are very keen to have Laxman on board. He has signed up for us and it would be very unfortunate if we cannot avail of his services.”
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