It was ridiculous to see people (from ddca) trying to defend themselves when they didn't have anything to defend, says Bishan Singh Bedi
It was ridiculous to see people (from DDCA) trying to defend themselves when they didn't have anything to defend, says Bishan Singh Bedi
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Not many can match Bishan Singh Bedi's experience when it comes to dealing with cricket administrators from the nation's capital. The former India captain yesterday joined forces with fellow cricketers in an attempt to free Delhi and District Cricket Association from further ridicule after Sunday's pitch fiasco during the fifth and final one-day international contested between India and Sri Lanka.
Bedi has had to endure some bitter times with the DDCA, but was confident that he can contribute to the revival of Delhi cricket. Before speaking to MiD DAY last night, Bedi reportedly called for the scrapping of the DDCA sports committee.
Excerpts:
What triggered off your decision to take on the administration?
Poor administration in Delhi cricket has been happening for some time now and we (former players) have been watching from the outside. I was at the ground on Sunday during the India vs Sri Lanka one-day game. 'Oh bloody hell,' I said when I watched the pitch doing tricks. To see the events unfold made me
absolutely sick.
Did the idea of having a Cricket Improvement Committee stem from what the Mumbai Cricket Association has done?
Yeah.
How is Delhi different from Mumbai?
Mumbai has a cricket culture. People understand the game while Delhi is totally different. They (administrators) are not as passionate about the game. Had this fiasco happened in Mumbai, Kolkata, or Chennai, the people involved would have been lynched. It was ridiculous to see people trying to defend themselves when they didn't have anything to defend.
Things haven't changed at DDCA, so what makes you so hopeful of change?
I am reasonably positive. I am not jumping the gun or going over the moon. I am just quietly positive... that's all.
Do you think you can rope in current stars like Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir in your committee?
I am confident they will join us.u00a0 We are not role models... they are. We can only talk from experience of a few years ago but they will talk from recent experiences.
Chetan Chauhan (DDCA vice-president) said the Sri Lankans chickened out. What did you think of that comment?
It was terrible. The game should have been stopped when Dilshan was hit by Nehra. Sometimes the ball was skidding and at times it was coming up your nose. Had it been Australia or England, the BCCI and DDCA would have got hell from them. The situation is quite tense and a few days will determine the future of Delhi cricket.
How convinced are you that DDCA chief Arun Jaitley has got the right intentions and plans for the revival of Delhi cricket?
I think it's about time he did. Everything around him is shoddy.
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