NEW DELHI— Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi and Bishan Singh Bedi, two former Indian Captains, endorsed the one year ban imposed by the disciplinary committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India on six leading Test stars.

“I think it is a just and fair verdict”, said Pataudi, Justifying the ban on six top player, Pataudi said: “I am personally happy that youngsters have been spared from the ban and the committee did well in providing an escape clause by imposing only fines”,

According to Pataudi, the decision is not harsh. “There was a lot of nonsense going ‘on and it was the time for the Board to act”.

Bedi also supported Pataudi but he feltthat the entire team should have been barred instead of only six. “After all, they alll went to the US and Canada for the same purpose and they ‘Committed the same breach of contract,” Bedi added, A former India spinner, Bedi, ‘who was himself advocating for the ban on players defying the Board, said: Candidly speaking, I am more than surprised at Board’s bold decision”,

According to Bedi, the Board has given a refreshing lead to other national’ sports federations, which are beset with similar problems of indiscipline and defiance. Terming the decision as fair, Bedi said: “These stars have for long taken the Board for a ride and no individual or group of players are greater than the game”,

Bedi said that the exclusion of the six players would not affect the side much and the show would go on. Contrary to the views of both Pataudi and Bedi another former India captain. Lala’ Amarnath “deplored” the ban imposed on the six players. “Players who have built the country sprestige deserved sympathy” and consideration instead of this harsh treatment, said Lala.

Banned Cricketers to appeal

The six Indian Test Stars, debarred from. playing in domestic and international cricket for one year for breach of tour contract by the disciplinary committee of the Board of Control for Cricket, have decided to ‘appeal to the board’s working committee to reverse the decision.

‘At a press conference skipper Dilip Vengsarkar, Kapil Dev, Kiran More, Mohammed Azharuddin and Arun Lal made it clear that at present they had no intention to move the court against the Board’s decision.

After all they (the board) are our parent body and such an action (moving the courts) on our part would be detrimental to cricket and cricketers in general they said thus putting at rest speculations, for the moment, that they were planning to take legal action.

“The best option open to us is to appeal to the working committee to alter the disciplinary panel’s decision and we are ‘going to do that,” they reiterated, They are also, expected to take Sunil Gavaskar’s help to sort out the matter with the Board after his return from abroad later this week. According to the six players, the former India skipper had acted as the coordinator between them and the organizers of the exhibition matches in the US. and Canada after the conclusion of the tour to the West Indies last May.

Article extracted from this publication >>  August 18, 1989