In a gag order, Chief Selector Dilip Vengsarkar has been asked by the BCCI
not to interact with the media, a few days after he was banned from writing syndicated
columns.
Vengsarkar, a former India captain who has often found himself in trouble
for his comments in the media on selection matters, will no longer be allowed
to address the press after selection meetings.
"The decision not to allow the selection committee chairman
to speak to the media after the meetings was taken at the office bearers sitting
(of the BCCI at Delhi) yesterday," board's secretary Niranjan Shah
said.
The selectors today chose the team for the first two Tests
against Pakistan and the BCCI provided only a media release of the squad,
instead of the normal media conference addressed by Vengsarkar.
"We don't have to tell the media why we have taken this
decision," Shah retorted.
"From now on there will only be media releases after a selection committee
meeting and there won't be any interaction (between chief selector and media),"
said another board source.
"We have reverted back to the days when Chandu Borde and
Syed Kirmani were there as chairman, if you remember," he added, referring
to Borde's second innings as chairman between 1999-2002 and Kirmani's single
term in 2003-04.
Incidentally, Vengsarkar was conspicuous by his absence to
talk to the media when Anil Kumble was announced as Test captain by BCCI's
joint secretary Mahendra Pandove late at night on November 8 in Mohali
after the second ODI of the current series.
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