Indian cricket players warned to shape up (26 Sep 1996)

Friday 27, September 1996

Indian cricket players warned to shape up

Daily News

NEW DELHI, Thursday - India's new-look cricket administration took charge on Thursday with a stern warning to its players to shape up, arguing there was "more money than runs'' in the national game.

Raj Singh Dungarpur, who succeeded Inderjit Singh Bindra as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Wednesday, said hard measures were needed to revive the dwindling fortunes of the national team.

The 61-year-old Dungarpur, a former first-class cricketer who served as chairman of selectors in the late 80s, said: "Players tend to take their place in the team for granted after one good performance. I want to give them a shake.

"There is more money than runs being scored in Indian cricket''.

Dungapur also warned that there would be no room for unfit players under the new regime.

"The gruelling schedules of modern cricket demand peak fitness. I am not convinced the younger players take physical training as seriously as they should,'' he said.

Dungarpur's outburst follows a disappointing run over the past year, in which India failed to win five limited-overs tournaments, including the World Cup, and lost both the test and one-day series in England.

Dungarpur showed he meant business by sacking national coach Sandeep Patil soon after assuming office. "It's a result-oriented world,'' he said.

Patil, who took over only five months ago and was sacked after the embarrassing 2-3 defeat by arch-rivals Pakistan in Canada last week, was replaced by former Test all-rounder Madan Lal.

The shake-up leaves India short of experience at the top when they begin a busy season next month, which includes test matches and one-dayers against Australia, South Africa and the West Indies.

The one-off Test match against Australia in New Delhi from October 10, Sachin Tendulkar's first as captain, will also be Madan Lal's debut as coach and former pace bowler Ramakant Desai's first as chief selector.

Desai and off-spinner Shivlal Yadav replaced Gundappa Vishwanath and Anshuman Gaekwad in the five-man selection committee, which also includes non-Test players Sambaram Banerjee, Kishen Rungta and Mohinder Pandove.

Dungarpur brushed aside criticism that a selection committee short of test experience -- Desai played 28 Tests and Yadav 35 -- was not suited for the task.

"Australia never won the Ashes when Sir Donald Bradman was chief selector, '' said Dungarpur, himself a non-Test player who served as selector for six years.

"Not all the present selectors in England and Australia are test players. You can only choose from the talent available''.

Madan Lal, whose tenure lasts a year, said his experience as coach of India's second string and the United Arab Emirates team, will help him in the new job.

"I will work hard to make the team a cohesive unit, and I am certain my efforts will bear fruit,'' said the 45-year-old, who played 39 tests before retiring in 1988.

"I want to sit with Tendulkar as early as possible to chalk out strategy for the coming season. I think we'll get along well''.

Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)