Gavaskar appointed consultant to Indian team

Sunil Gavaskar, the former Indian captain, has been appointed consultant to the Indian team. He returned from England and was swiftly on his way to join the Indian team in Bangalore, reported Mid Day newspaper. It quoted Gavaskar as saying, "I am delighted and honoured. Yes, I am excited to be part of it. It's going to be an exciting series."

The move to appoint Gavaskar as a consultant to the team reportedly came after Sourav Ganguly called him and asked for help. This is not Gavaskar's first foray into the inner ring of Indian cricket - in 1994 he stepped in as cricket manager when Ajit Wadekar was suddenly taken ill with a heart ailment. India were playing a tri-series in Sharjah at that time.

The Border-Gavaskar series is now likely to witness the avid participation of the two men it is named after. Allan Border, an Australian selector, is expected to join the team for the second half of the tour.