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Physio therapy

In view of the increasing importance of sports medicine, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has made it mandatory for every state association to appoint a physio, board president Dr A C Muthiah said today in Madras.

Addressing his first press conference on home turf since being elected BCCI chief, Muthiah, who is also the president of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA), said the newly-appointed physio of the Indian team, Anthony Leipus, and experts selected with his help, will pick the physios for various state associations.

"They will be sent abroad to other cricket-playing countries to gain expertise," he announced.

Fielding a volley of questions on various cricketing issues before the BCCI, Muthiah said, "The BCCI is awaiting the final verdict of the panel of eminent judges on the contentious issue of involvement of any of our players in match-fixing."

On the future of cricketing ties between India and Pakistan, he said: "The BCCI per se is not opposed to cricketing ties with Pakistan. Even in Toronto recently it was only our patriotic spirit which made us decide against playing Pakistan.

"Otherwise, we had not received any direction not to play against Pakistan," he said.

Muthiah disclosed that all international match centres in the country have been asked to implement the International Cricket Conference's (ICC) directives on security measures and also publicise them in the media.

"Otherwise they would be stripped of the status to stage international matches," he said, adding the ICC directives included a ban on alcoholic drinks inside the stadium and foolproof safety arrangements to ensure that no object is thrown on to the pitch or on the players.

Asked if the BCCI will take any action following the delay of the start of the Mohali Test between New Zealand and India, Muthiah said he is awaiting the report of the match referee.

In the wake of the BCCI's decision to focus more on domestic cricket to unearth talent, he said the board is considering making it mandatory for Indian cricketers to play a minimum number of matches in domestic competitions.

He also said Doordarshan will telecast a minimum of 21 days of domestic cricket live. "This would give a great fillip to domestic cricket what with DD reaching 54 million viewers right down to the village level," he said.

UNI