Indian news round-up

The secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) JY Lele on Monday refused to comment on the Punjab Cricket Association officials' allegations that the BCCI is trying to penalise the PCA. The officials of the PCA alleged on Sunday that the BCCI had stopped its subsidy to the association which was to the tune of Rs 2 crores.

Speaking to a news agency in Pune, Lele said "let them say whatever they want to. I don't want to react and I don't have any comment to make."

The charges against the BCCI were levelled by the PCA president, IS Bindra and secretary MP Pandove at a press conference on Sunday in Chandigarh. Pandove also added that the BCCI had not even given the association the date of availability of the Indian team for their golden jubilee celebrations.

The executive secretary of the BCCI Sharad Diwadkar announced in Pune that the selection committee meeting to decide the final 14-member squadfor the forthcoming Asia Cup in Dhaka has been advanced by a day and is to be held on May 22.

Diwadkar said that the change was made since captain Sourav Ganguly has advanced his date of arrival from England by a day. The 10 day long preparatory camp was set on the roll on Monday with the 25 probables barring skipper Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble, who are now in England fulfilling their county commitments, having a day long workout in the camp. The four nation Asia Cup involving India, Pakistan, SriLanka and Bangladesh starts on May 28 in Dhaka.

An excellent spell of bowling by Indian leg spinner Anil Kumble took his county Leicestershire to their first win of the season against Somerset at Leicester on Sunday. Kumble picked up figures of five for 61 in Somerset's second innings, his first five wicket haul for the season.

Needing 122 to win in 36 overs on the last day of the match, Leicestershire reached the target losing only 4 wickets and with six overs to spare. Earlier they dismissed the visitors for 246 in their second innings thanks to some excellent bowling by Kumble, Philip Defreitas and Darren Maddy.

The Karnataka spinner drew first blood when he had opener J Cox (24) caught behind and then his partner ME Trescothick (43). Later, Kumble picked up the wicket of RJ Turner. At the end Kumble helped Leicestershire clinch the match when he had both GD Rose and JO Grove leg before. He ended up with match figures of 7 for 123.