MANCHESTER, ENGLAND: Opener Navjot Sidhu stunned the Indians by deciding to quit their Tour of England on Monday May 27.
Sidhu announced his immediate retirement from international cricket because of fallout with the Indian management. He is believed to be ‘especially angry about his treatment by cap lain Mohammad Azharuddin.
‘The 32yearold Sikh, who averages 40.13 from his 36 tests, was dropped for the third and final one day international at Old Trafford where England won by four wickets on Monday.
Sidhu made three in the rain hit first one dyer at The Oval last Thursday and 20 in the second game at Headingly on Saturday when England won by six wickets.
Sandeep Patil, the Indian team manager, said he was making strenuous efforts to get Sidhu to reconsider. Patil said: “I am surprised that he has decided to retire. But we are not forwarding his retirement letter to the Indian Cricket Board until we have had a chance to sit down with him when we reach Chelmsford (for their next match against Essex).
“I’m sad because he has a lot of cricket left in him. He’s a quiet guy who is well regarded; I can’t comment about his relationship with the captain, we also need him more now because we are not performing particularly well.”
Sidhu said my dignity would be compromised if I carried on with this Indian team.”
Patil, however, denied Sidhu’s fall ‘out with the management had contributed to their 20 one day series defeat.
“We’ve got no excuses. We’ve just not played very well and we have a lot of work to do in the two matches we must play before the three test series begins,” he said.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 5, 1996
