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Dungarpur denies Indian players want to avoid Pakistan series

Raj Singh Dungarpur, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, today categorically denied a report that Indian players are not keen on taking on Pakistan at home for fear of being overworked prior to the World Cup in England.

He termed it as "utter nonsense" and said he met the Indian team in New Zealand when he had gone to Christchurch to attend the International Cricket Council meeting on match-fixing and found the players eager to meet Pakistan. "Their morale is very high," he said.

The report had quoted BCCI secretary J Y Lele as saying that Indian coach Anshuman Gaekwad took a representation from captain Mohammed Azharuddin and others that the players requested to be rested against Pakistan as they felt the series could be too taxing.

The report further attempted to give credence to the story by stating that Dungarpur warned the players that they would not be considered for the World Cup.

The board president called the report "humbug" and said nothing of the sort took place.

He also said the decision to have a World Test Championship has not been shelved. "It cannot take shape overnight. By June a slot for it will be found. India is directly supportive of it," he said.

Meanwhile, hopes of the Pakistan team's tour materialising brightened today with the Pakistan Cricket Board's special envoy, Brigadier (retd) Saeed Rafi, expressing satisfaction at the security arrangements for the series at a meeting with ICC president Jagmohan Dalmiya.

Dungarpur said it was just a matter of time before all concerned with the tour in Pakistan agree with Rafi's findings.

He himself spoke on phone with Rafi in Calcutta. Rafi is now waiting for PCB chief Khalid Mehmood to make the announcement in Lahore, Dungarpur added.

In Bombay, however, Shiv Sena deputy leader Vijay Loke threatened to damage hotels that provide accommodation to the Pakistani cricketers and offices of air operators transporting the team to venues across the country.

In a strongly worded statement tonight, Loke urged the Indian cricket team to desist from playing with the Pakistanis.

UNI