The BCCI has been a punching bag: Shastri at Sardesai lecture

Mumbai: There might be intense speculation over Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement, but former India captain Ravi Shastri feels the Master is not quitting any time soon and is hopeful that he would play at Lord’s next year. “He (Tendulkar) will not quit the game so soon as you all keep saying. He would continue to play and you will see him at Lord’s next year too,” said Shastri to a question after he delivered the Dilip Sardesai Memorial Lecture at the Bombay Gymkhana here Friday. The words of Shastri, considered to be very close to Tendulkar, put to rest the speculation that the senior India pro, who has compiled an incredible 100 International centuries and has retired from ODIs, will quit the game altogether after playing his 200th Test at home. [caption id=“attachment_1092019” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Shastri also defended Srinivasan’s decision to hold on to the BCCI chief’s post despite controversy. AFP[/caption] Shastri also put the blame on the communication gap between the respective cricket boards after the BCCI effectively cut short the Indian team’s scheduled visit to South Africa later this year by pencilling in a short series at home against the West Indies. ”The problem was in communication but there will be some cricket played (by India) in South Africa,” said Shastri. Delivering the annual Dilip Sardesai Memorial Lecture, Shastri said India’s consistent stand against the controversial Decision Review System (DRS) has been vindicated by the spate of wrong decisions during the recent Ashes series. “India’s stand on DRS is vindicated. Three years ago when I opposed DRS, it was said I had a contract with the BCCI. I stand by it even now what I said then,” said Shastri. Shastri said he was not opposed to technology, but wanted it to be used sparingly, as it is not perfect. “You can use technology sparingly, like in tennis, where there are only three referrals. If a player is inconsistent, or an umpire is inconsistent, they are dropped. Why is this not applied to technology?” said the 51-year-old. Instead of the host board paying for use of technological instruments like the costly Hotspot and Hawk Eye, the ICC should find sponsors to underwrite their use, he said. “DRS is also against the spirit of the game which teaches the player not to question an umpiring decision. I know what our players think about technology, what works and what doesn’t,” added Shastri. Shastri hailed current captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as among the best the country has produced. “He is quiet, hungry and a man of steel at all times. Even when India were beaten in England and Australia, his body language remained the same. I knew it was only a matter of some change of guard to see the Indian team bounce back again. “He wanted the Indian ODI side to field well and with some youngsters in, the current side is the best fielding unit. I knew that given the opportunity he can take India to the top again and that’s what he’s done,” said Shastri. Talking about the administration and the administrators of the game of cricket, Shastri defended both. “India have won three World Cups in the last 30 years. There have been several great players during this time. This is one sport India has excelled. Indian team is always in the top three in all forms over the last ten years. That’s a tribute to the system,” he said. “Turbulence is just a phase. It’s a mindset. You got to beat that. You got to conquer that. The BCCI has been a punching bag. I tell people that you got to see what BCCI has done for cricket. Unlike some of the other associations that are at loggerheads, here is one body that has consistently produced results.” Moving on to the administrators, Shastri lavished praise on Sharad Pawar, Shashank Manohar and N Srinivasan. He even had some kind words for Lalit Modi. “Mr Sharad Pawar was instrumental in giving IPL the push it needed. It is easier said than done. He gave Lalit Modi a free hand. You got to give credit where it is due. Lalit in his own way was brilliant in conceptualising the tournament in the first two years but it was Sharad Pawar who had the conviction that IPL could succeed,” he said. Shashank Manohar, for Shastri, was “a beauty and a no-nonsense man.” “With him, it was black or white; no grey,” Shastri said. “He made a great pair with Srinivasan. With him, it was black or white; no grey.” Amd Srinivasan in the eyes of Shastri is “a genuine cricket lover and terrific cricket administrator.” Shastri also agreed with Srinivasan’s decision to not resign after the spot-fixing scandal came to light. “If I were the BCCI president or the captain of a team or the head of my political party, I would never have resigned. That’s not the school I was brought up in. I would take responsibility and set the house in order.” Agencies