BCCI reprimands Kirsten for captaincy comments

	Niranjan Shah: "Anil [Kumble] is a great cricketer and he knows well when to quit. As long as he is in form, I don't think the selectors are going to drop him" © AFP Enlarge

The BCCI has reprimanded Gary Kirsten, India's coach, for his comments to the media, in which he stated Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India's limited-overs captain, was ready for Test captaincy.

Niranjan Shah, the BCCI secretary, told Kirsten to avoid airing his views in the media and focus on his job. "As per the rules and regulations, Kirsten should not have spoken such things in the media, it is not his job. We have the selectors to decide who should be the captain," Shah said. "His comments have not gone down well with those concerned because he is an important member of the support staff. But I will still give him a benefit of doubt."

Shah also dismissed the notion that Anil Kumble, India's Test captain, who had a poor series in Sri Lanka, should retire. "Anil is a great cricketer and he knows well when to quit," he said. "As long as he is in form, I don't think the selectors are going to drop him."

Kirsten had earlier told Indian news channel NDTV: "He [Dhoni] is ready for it [Test captaincy] but there is no need to rush as of now. Anil has done an exceptional job, he is a great leader. He is prepared to do 30 overs in a day but he is on the other side of the physical side of the game."

In July, the BCCI had barred Kirsten from writing columns on matches involving India but made it clear that it did not have any problems with him operating his website.