‘SRT batted for MSD’
Mumbai: Mumbai Cricket Association chief Sharad Pawar has revealed that it was Sachin Tendulkar who batted for Mahendra Singh Dhoni as captain of the Indian team after Rahul Dravid expressed his desire to give up captaincy on 2007. “Sachin loves to lend a helping hand to fellow players, especially the juniors, and believes in team spirit. Humility is his middle name. He gave up captaincy to concentrate on his game,” Pawar wrote on his blog on Sunday. “Now, a cute story which will delight the countless fans of Sachin Tendulkar and M S Dhoni as well. It so happened that a few years ago the Indian cricket team was playing in England. As BCCI chief I too was in london. One day Rahul Dravid came to me with a request that took me by surprise. Dravid said he wanted to give up captaincy as it affected his game. I flatly said no. The Twenty20 series was to begin soon and the World Cup match was barely a year away. How could Dravid think of giving up captaincy at such a critical junctureIJ Who would be his successorIJ Dravid persisted. He suggested Sachin’s name as the next captain. I talked to Sachin on the issue. He didn’t seem eager to step into Dravid’s shoes. Instead, he suggested Dhoni’s name. This came as a twist in the tale. ‘Dhoni is an excellent wicket-keeper. But, will he make a good captainIJ’ I asked Sachin. ‘You try him out. He will make a great captain. I say this with a sense of responsibility’, Sachin replied,” said the Union Agriculture minister while recalling the events of 2007.
Roach, Pollard out
Mumbai: The struggling West Indies team has been dealt a couple of injury blows in their ongoing tour of India with pacer Kemar Roach ruled out of the remainder of the trip and all-rounder Kieron Pollard rendered unavailable for the ODI series. Roach has been ruled out of the second and final Test along with the one-dayers due to a shoulder injury, while Pollard has been rested from the ODIs due to an undisclosed niggle. “Kemar has not made the expected recovery from the shoulder injury that kept him out of the first Test and he is returning to the Caribbean for ongoing management and subsequent physical rehabilitation,” West Indies team physiotherapist CJ Clark said. Shannon Gabriel has been selected to replace his fellow fast bowler and is expected to arrive in India in time for consideration for selection in the second Test which opens on Thursday at the Wankhede Stadium here.
Dravid in CBI meet
New Delhi: In a rare opportunity, former India captain Rahul Dravid will be exchanging his views with some of country’s finest investigators at a CBI function to deliberate on corruption in sports in the backdrop of fixing allegations in cricket. The agency’s three-day international conference on “evolving common strategies to combat corruption and crime”, starting tomorrow will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Manomohan Singh, who will release a special commemorative stamp on the occasion. The Prime Minister will also present the President’s Police medals for Distinguished Service to six CBI officers for their outstanding performance.
lara missed Eden
Kolkata: West Indian batting legend Brian lara on Sunday lamented that he could never play a Test match at the historic Eden Gardens and made a suggestion to CAB officials that if a veterans match, including Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, could be organised here in the future. “lara lamented that he has not played any Test at the majestic Eden Gardens. He suggested us to organise an exhibition cricket match for the veterans involving himself and the Indian duo of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly,” CAB treasurer Biswarup Dey said. “In a lighter vein he told us to prepare a ‘batting-friendly’ so that Tendulkar would score 200-plus runs, Ganguly 150 and 100-odd runs for him... It was unfortunate that he could not watch the Test match here but he was very happy to be here.”
WI salute SHIVNARINE
Mumbai: West Indies on Sunday saluted their own legendary batsman in Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who will touch the milestone of playing 150 Tests when the Caribbean side will clash with India from Wednesday to salvage a draw in the two-match series. West Indies head coach Ottis Gibson said they have a lot of respect for Chanderpaul and it is great to have him in their dressing room. “Sachin is playing his 200th game. He is a legend in India and around the world. Shiv is also a legend in our dressing room. Whilst we salute and celebrate Sachin, we also salute and celebrate Shiv. It is a wonderful achievement for him to be around so long and still enjoying his cricket,” Gibson told reporters after team practice. “He is same on the field and same around the dressing room. W PNS/Agencies