Dilip Vengsarkar's exit from the selection panel appears certain. The Board of Control for Cricket in India's chief selector, it seems, has made up his mind to call it quits after his request to reconsider the guidelines was rejected.
The BCCI, on Sunday night, decided not to consider Vengsarkar's request and made it clear that it will not bow to his threat of stepping down.
Vengsarkar is in a foul mood after the BCCI stopped him from writing newspaper columns and issued a seven-point code of conduct for the selectors.
"He is no longer willing to work in these circumstances unless the Board reconsiders its stance. He has made up his mind to put in his papers," a source close to Vengsarkar said.
"He is someone who will not compromise with his integrity. He does not want to continue in this fashion," he added.
Vengsarkar has kept his fellow-selectors in the loop on this issue. On Sunday he met East Zone selector Ranjib Biswal, who is in Mumbai to watch the Ranji Trophy Super League encounter between the hosts and Maharashtra.
An unruffled BCCI, however, said it is up to Vengsarkar to decide whether he wants to continue as the chief selector and he should rather focus on his job than worry about personal issues.
"He (Vengsarkar) wants to step down. He had spoken to BCCI president Sharad Pawar and expressed willingness to do so," BCCI vice-president Shukla said.
"The Board's view is that on December 5 we have a meeting of the selection committee to pick the squad for the Australia tour, which is more important than personal issues.
"The national interest is more important. He should first focus on that and personal issues can be discussed later," Shukla added.
Asked why Vengsarkar offered to resign in the middle of a series when things were more or less settled between him and the Board, Shukla said there were different opinions on the seven-point guidelines issued to the selectors.
"There are certain issues on which he has got a different point of view, like the guidelines which have been issued about not writing columns and about the selectors going to watch the matches," Shukla said.
These guidelines are part of the BCCI constitution and they cannot be changed and Vengsarkar is free to quit, he said.
