But in the end, if the tri-series goes ahead as rescheduled, it could well be because of the Corporate Trophy.
The Corporate Trophy is thought to be the reason for a change of dates in the ongoing tri-series in Sri Lanka. The Indian Board wanted to ensure the national players’ participation in the final of the tournament and delayed the team’s departure for Lanka. The fixtures of the tournament were changed to suit the India’s revised itinerary. But in the end, if the tri-series goes ahead as rescheduled, it could well be because of the Corporate Trophy.
The tournament has rescued the Indian team and, in a way, saved the Cricket Sri Lanka from affecting further changes in the dates. MS Dhoni & Co may have failed to reach Colombo as scheduled on Wednesday, but for Air India.
The story goes like this. The officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) were in a quandary over team’s flight to Colombo. They were not sure if the Jet Airways, with which the Board has a corporate deal, will be able to fly its Chennai-Colombo 9W252 on Wednesday because of its pilots’ strike.
At that stage, Air India came forward to carry the team to the island nation. Air India took only an hour to organise a special aircraft, crew and pilots after a BCCI official informally discussed the issue with its chairman Arvind Jadhav on Tuesday night.
It is learnt that Suru Naik, the operations manager of the BCCI, had a discussion with Jadhav, who was in Bangalore to attend the final, over dinner on Tuesday night. Jadhav swung into action and put everything in place in about an hour. He also agreed to divert the flight to Bangalore, to pick five stranded players, including captain Dhoni.
As per the original plan, Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and RP Singh were to join the rest of the team in Chennai and take off together at 11 am on Wednesday. But Jadhav asked Boeing 737-800 to fly to Colombo via Bangalore. The flight took off exactly at 11 am and reached Colombo around 2 pm after halting briefly in Bangalore. What’s more, it also accommodated 32 other passengers who were stranded at the Chennai airport because of the Jet strike.
“It’s our commitment to the national cause. At the time of any crisis, Air India is the most dependable carrier in the country,” said Jitender Bhargava, Air India’s spokesman.
“We thank Mr Jadhav. They have been of immense help,” said Prof Ratnakar Shetty, the chief Administrative Officer of the BCCI.
Shetty played down the money charged for the special flight while Bhargava said the national carrier did not do it for commercial considerations. “Money is not an issue at all for us,” said Shetty. “We have charged them normal fare,” added Bhargava.
){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}