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The cricket diary

Pak board eager for tour of India

The Pakistan Cricket Board has indicated its eagerness to tour India, as scheduled, despite the recent drift in relations between the two countries as a result of the nuclear tests.

Informing the media that negotiations for the tour were still on, the deteriorating political situation notwithstanding, BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele said in Bombay on Saturday that though it had looked, earlier, as if the tour would be in jeopardy, the two boards had begun talking again.

The tour, planned to contain five Tests and an equal number of one day internationals, was intended to resume a cricketing rivalry that has -- barring the meetings at neutral venues -- been in abeyance for a few years now.

Pakistan last toured India in 1986-'87 under Imran Khan. On that occasion, they won the five Test series 1-0, and took the ODI series as well. India reciprocated with a short tour under Krish Sikkanth in 1989.

In 1996, then PCB secretary P Abbasi had mooted the idea of having Tests at some neutral venue. Sharjah was suggested, but the Indian board deep-sixed that idea in short order.

It was subsequent to this that India extended an invitation to Pakistan for a full tour, to mark the resumption of regular cricketing relations between the two countries.

The BCCI sent across a proposed itinerary, and the PCB officials have been fine-tuning it of late. The process was halted for a while, during the peak of the nuclear hysteria that gripped both countries last month, but dialogue has since resumed between the respective boards.

"A few days back the PCB secretary called to fine tune the schedule, asked for one more three day match between the third and fourth Tests," said Lele, indicating that the tour was, for all practical purposes, being taken as on, by both countries.

India's Test discard Rajesh Chauhan on Saturday met BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele to see clarifications about his career, which has been effectively blocked by the ICC's allegations that his bowling action is illegal.

The ICC had, a few months earlier, asked for another review of Chauhan's action a few months ago, has not yet informed the BCCI about its final decision. Lele is slated to seek clarification on the subject, when he meets ICC officials during the next meeting of the world body, slated to be held in London next week.

Chauhan, who came into the limelight during the home series in 1992-'93 against England, was not selected for the ODI tour of Dhaka earlier this year following the report of his action as suspect by match referee Bobby Simpson, who observed him during the Test series against Sri Lanka late last year. Simpson's suspicion was buttressed by negative reports by the umpires who did duty in that series.

The ICC had then suggested corrective action, at the cricket clinic run by former England off spinner Fred Titmus in London. Chauhan thus went to England in company of former India star Erapalli Prasanna.

On his return, Lele announced that the ICC had given Chauhan verbal clearance, and asked selectors to consider him for the Test series against the visiting Australians in March. Chauhan, however, played only one Test before an adverse report by match referee Peter Van Der Merve of South Africa saw him being replaced by Harbajan Singh.

At this point, the ICC yet again asked for fresh videotapes of Chauhan's action, but though the tapes were duly delivered, the world body has not yet given its final verdict.

Lele, thus, is expected to bring the matter up when he goes to London for the upcoming ICC meet, and seek clarifications from the ICC's technical committee of which Kapil Dev is India's representative.

An interesting quirk about Chauhan's career is that he has never found himself on the losing side in Tests -- India has either drawn, or won, every single Test in which he figured.

The ICC has not imposed any permanent ban on the staging of international cricket at either the Nehru Stadium, Indore, or Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica.

Both venues came into disrepute following cancellation of games due to poor pitch conditions. An ODI between India and Sri Lanka had to be called off on December 25 last, as also the Test between England and West Indies at Kingston in February this year.

Dalmiya, speaking to the media in Calcutta on Saturday, said that at the time, the ICC had asked the respective boards to inform the concerned authorities that the pitches at the two venues had to be relaid, and a few first class games of three- or four-day duration, and that at least six or seven months have to lapse before hosting an international fixture.

As and when the two venues next staged first class matches, the ICC will send observers who will take note of the pitch and ground conditions, watch the game and then submit their report to the council. A favourable report will mean a go-ahead, facilitating the holding of international fixtures from that point on.

Dalmiya said that the recent ICC meeting also discussed proposals for some changes in rules. The changes would come up for final approval in the upcoming ICC meeting, in London between June 8-17.

Interestingly, the ICC has already turned down two proposals that seemed to be overdue. One relates to the use of one white ball at each end, during ODIs -- a proposal made because of late, white balls in use in ODIs have tended to lose colour and necessitated frequent ball changes.

Another rule that the ICC, surprisingly, turned down was to make it compulsory for fielder's in close-catching positions to wear protective gear. The rule was suggested in the wake of the recent tragedy, wherein former India player Raman Lamba lost his life.

The executive board of the ICC is scheduled to meet on June 12, and the annual general body would meet on June 13 and 14.