LEICESTER, ENGLAND: Skipper Mohammed Azharuddin described Navjot Singh Sidhu’s walkout from the Indian cricket team midway through the England tour as an “unnecessary controversy” in his first public statement on the episode last week. He blamed the entire controversy on Sidhu, who flew back to India last month after announcing his retirement from the game. Sidhu’s action came after he was dropped for the final one day international against England on May 26. Azharuddin asserted that Sidhu had left on his own for his own reasons and that the decision to drop him was taken by the team management as a whole. Sidhu was informed prior to the game that he had been dropped, said Azharuddin in remarks published in the Indian media That decision was taken by all four members of the tour management and selection committee and the decision was taken on cricketing grounds. The manner of his leaving was unfortunate. Both the management and I spoke with him to ask that he reconsider his decision to leave, however he is an adult and having made his choice there was nothing further we could do to make him reconsider. As far as my own position is concerned I enjoy the total support and confidence of my team and management. “] would never laugh at him (Sidhu) I am just not like that. Anyone who knows me knows I am a very easy person to get ‘along with and I am very approachable,” Azharuddin said, referring to Sidhu’s allegation that the skipper had tried to run him down on several recent occasions and that he could no longer take the humiliation. I think that too many players have not retired gracefully Desmond Haynes, for instance in recent times, Azharuddin said. Country and your country is always more important than any person. David Boon is a good example of how to retire, he said. “He stepped down in the right way, with no fuss.”
Article extracted from this publication >> June 26, 1996
