Tour manager hints at strict discipline for Sharjah

A strict military discipline has been hinted by the tour manager for India's forthcoming tour of Sharjah. This should easily be appreciated especially when Delhi based additional Income Tax commissioner Vishwa Bandhu Gupta has sensationally revealed the confidential fact of declaring a huge amount (Rs. 16 crore) under the Voluntary Disclosure of Income Scheme (VDIS) by India's former recent skipper.

Speaking to this correspondent over telephone from his Agartala residence, Samiran Chakraborty, the manager for the Sharjah and Dhaka tournaments, stated, "I shall discuss the matter with each individual player and all necessary steps shall be taken to have no controversies of any kind during the tour".

When reminded that Sharjah and Dubai are alleged to be the centres for match-fixing and betting, Chakraborty, who is also the secretary of the Tripura Cricket Association, added, "these allegations are being made all over the world, I shall keep a personal watch on every member and all possible measures shall be taken to avoid anything controversial during the tour". The tour manager, if the situation arises, may impose a ban on the use of mobiles. He had restricted the use of cell-phones during his role as manager on the 1997 Sri Lanka tour. He has also been to Bangladesh before, but not with the Indian team.

The three teams India, Pakistan and South Africa are participating in the day-night tournament to be held from March 22 to 31. The CBFS' chief co-ordinator Asif Iqbal and vice chairman Shaikh Abdul Rehman Bukhatir were in India during the first Test in Mumbai. The beneficiaries are Chandu Borde, Bapu Nadkarni and Maninder Singh from India and Saeed Anwar and Moin Khan from Pakistan.

Reacting on the additional commissioner's interview, where several Indian cricketers are reported to be involved in betting and match-fixing, former BCCI president Purshottam Rungta has demanded a thorough inquiry by the government.

"It is highly disgraceful and shameful. The BCCI president should take a serious note of these allegations and must request the government to come out with the truth". The retired Supreme Court Justice Yashwant Vishnu Chandrachud who was assigned by the BCCI to look into Manoj Prabhakar's allegations refused to comment on the subject. Chandrachud could not get any substantial evidence and gave a `clean chit' to the Indian cricketers.