Indian news round-up

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday turned down the request from the English county Kent to exempt their overseas player Rahul Dravid from playing the forthcoming Asia Cup in Dhaka.

Speaking to an Indian newspaper in New Delhi, The BCCI Secretary JY Lele said ``We cannot accede to such requests. Dravid, if selected has got to play in the Asia Cup.''

Chief Executive of Kent Cricket Club, Paul Millman had tried to persuade the BCCI to allow Dravid to stay in England to represent the county in two County Championship fixtures and two National League games which are to be played during the Asia Cup. Millman had earlier said that when Dravid signed the contract with the club last October, there was no mention about the Asia Cup commitment for Dravid.

The Indian probables put in a grinding five-and-half hour session of practice on the fifth day of the ten-day long conditioning camp at the Pune club for the forth coming Asia Cup in Dhaka.

Team coach Kapil Dev was able to get the probables to put in three and a half hours of practice on Friday morning and was also able to follow it up with another two hour session in the afternoon. The unseasonal rains which lashed the city on Wednesday night washed out the practice schedule on Thursday.

The probables were looking in good shape except for all-rounder Robin Singh who was injured while playing football and seamer Ajit Agarkar who is down with a flu. The team physio, Andrew Leipus, said "Agarkar is having a slight fever but will be all right." He said that the probables had been responding very well and are in absolutely fit physical condition.

The editor of the Delhi based weekly `Outlook' magazine Vinod Mehta said on Friday that the weekly would vigorously contest the Rs 50 crore defamation case filed in the Calcutta High Court by the International Cricket Council (ICC) President Jagmohan Dalmiya yesterday.

Speaking to a newsagency in New Delhi, Mehta said "Dalmiya's threatened legal action against Outlook will not inhibit the magazine from continuing its investigation into the conduct and performance of president of the ICC Jagmohan Dalmiya. We will contest the proposed defamation suit vigorously." Meanwhile another weekly `India Today' has also taken a similar stand regarding the defamation suit.

Dalmiya had filed a defamation suit against Outlook and India Today for printing news items which were baseless and defamatory in nature for Dalmiya. Apart from this the ICC chief had also filed a defamation suit against an English daily The Sunday Telegraph.

The chairman of the national selection committee, Chandu Borde, and former Test cricketer Hemant Kanitkar were felicitated in a function in Pune on Thursday by a multinational company.

Borde received the award from Kapil Dev which included an award of Rs 31,000, a silver plaque and a Kashmiri carpet for Borde in recognition of his `outstanding contribution to game of cricket in the country.' While Kanitkar received Rs 21,000, a silver plaque and a Kashmiri carpet for his `catch-them-young' programme from Borde.

Meanwhile, Tridal, Pune-based social organization has also announced that it is to honour Borde with the `Punya Bhushan' award on May 21 at the Nehru Stadium in Pune.