Kaif to replace injured Dravid
Uttar Pradesh middle order batsman Mohammad Kaif will replace injured Indian team vice-captain Rahul
Dravid for the remainder of the Sharjah tri-series, the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced on Tuesday.
"Kaif will leave for Sharjah on Wednesday to replace Dravid, who suffered a fractured finger while fielding in
the slips during India's last match against Zimbabwe. Dravid
is expected to be out of action for two weeks and will return
home immediately," BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele said from Baroda.
"I think so," was Lele's answer to a query whether the
injury meant that Dravid, one of the batting mainstays for
India, will not be fit in time for the one-off Test in Dhaka
against Bangladesh, scheduled from November 10-14.
The match will be Bangladesh's inaugural Test after being
accorded full member status at the last AGM of the
International Cricket Council.
Meanwhile, Anshuman Gaekwad will be persuaded to
continue as the Indian team's coach till all formalities
regarding the appointment of the new foreign coach are completed, Lele said.
"Gaekwad has already been appointed the coach till the
Test match in Dhaka and will be persuaded to continue till the
new coach is able to take over," he said.
Lele angrily refuted reports from Sharjah that the new
foreign coach will be able to take over only in February prior
to Australia's scheduled tour of India.
"A lot of formalities have to be completed, which include
clearance from the authorities for paying the new coach in
foreign exchange.
"I do not know how much time these will take. It's all
rubbish to say he can take over in February only. We may get
the clearance in a week or a month or it may take longer,"
Lele fumed.
Australians Geoff Marsh and Greg Chappell, and New
Zealander John Wright are in the running for the high-profile
job.
BCCI officials interviewed Chappell and Wright in
Chennai on Monday and also announced that Marsh, the third candidate, will be interviewed at a later date.
The matter will then be referred to the board's
high-powered working and finance committees before the final
choice is made.
Meanwhile, the Indian team on Tuesday attended a dinner reception at the Indian High Commissioner's residence.
Mail Cricket Editor
