NEW DELHI, 1 May 2004 — India’s refusal to play ball has ruined Abu Dhabi’s plans to inaugurate their state-of-the-art cricket stadium with a high-profile match against Pakistan next month.
India’s cricket boss Jagmohan Dalmiya not only declined to release top stars for the $100,000 exhibition game at the plush Zayed Cricket Stadium on May 14, but also refused to meet his Abu Dhabi counterpart B.R. Shetty, camping in India for the last three days.
A frustrated Shetty said yesterday he could be forced to convert the tie into a veterans’ match if the top Indian cricketers were not granted permission. “I tried speaking to Dalmiya after coming here, but he refused to speak to me on the matter,” said Shetty. “I am still hopeful the match will go ahead, but let’s see who takes part.”
Cancellation would prove embarrassing at the highest level in the UAE capital where Sheikh Nahyan ibn Mubarak Al-Nahyan, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Cricket Control Board (ADCCB), had himself announced the game.
Sheikh Nahyan is minister for higher education and a favored son of UAE President Sheikh Zayed ibn Sultan Al-Nahyan.
ADCCB secretary Ravi Pandit, who is accompanying Shetty to India, said that only four Indian cricketers had signed up for the match. “We met during the Rawalpindi Test (between India and Pakistan) earlier this month and four Indian players gave us a confirmation along with 14 Pakistan cricketers,” Pandit told the Indian Express newspaper.
“So we thought everything was confirmed and that’s why we held the press conference in Abu Dhabi to announce the match.”
Dalmiya was adamant the Indian players would not go to Abu Dhabi. “I don’t know anything about this and I don’t have any appointment with Abu Dhabi officials,” he said. “There won’t be any match.”
Indian Cricket Board Secretary Karunakaran Nair said the match was not sanctioned because no official application had been made by Abu Dhabi.
Medical Report Clears Akhtar in Injury Row
In Karachi, a Pakistan medical team said yesterday that Shoaib Akhtar had been unable to bowl in a decisive Test against arch rival India this month because of a rib injury.
The team management had been suspicious of the injury, which led to Akhtar sitting out Day Three of the Test in Rawalpindi, after he was back on the field to bat on the fourth day without showing any signs of discomfort.
A four-member team of doctors from Shaukat Khanum Memorial hospital in Lahore said the 28-year-old ace pacer’s injury was due to persistent stress.
Akhtar had been troubling the Indian batsman with his extreme pace when he fell down on his follow through, hurt his wrist and back, and left the field.
