I fear that politics has played a part: Kapil

Calcutta: Twenty six years after fans put up ‘No Kapil No Test’ banners at Eden Gardens, Kapil Dev has said that he fears “politics” played a role in the February 27 India-England World Cup match being relocated.

It has been shifted to Bangalore.

“Blame the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) for Calcutta not being ready by January 25, but if four venues can get an extension till February 7, then why not the Eden? I fear that politics has played a part...

“The Board should have fought with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to ensure that the match stayed with Calcutta... A request was sent, that’s it... The Board ought to have done more, stood by such a special venue as the Eden... It’s not just any other ground,” Kapil told The Telegraph, typically passionately.

He added: “The Board may have a problem with Mr (Jagmohan) Dalmiya, but it should have gone all out for Calcutta and the Eden... Settle scores elsewhere, not in this manner... I’ve been very disappointed with the happenings over the past week... It pains...”

The Wankhede, home ground of the ICC president, Sharad Pawar, is one of the venues to get an extension for all matches. The other three are all in Sri Lanka.

Calcutta has time till February 7, but the big-ticket clash has already been relocated. Come Monday and the ICC’s inspection team is going to review arrangements only for the three matches not involving India.

Back in December-January 1984, fans at the Eden had threatened to boycott the India-England Test if Kapil wasn’t recalled. He’d been dropped for playing rashly at the Kotla, in the previous Test.

The selectors didn’t relent, though.

While the Test ended in a draw, it’s best remembered for Mohammed Azharuddin’s impressive hundred (110) on debut.

Kapil, the 1983 World Cup-winning captain, has retained his massive following in Calcutta.

Incidentally, he was brought back in the next Test, at the Chepauk.

Meanwhile, Dalmiya, the CAB president, has requested the ICC to “reconsider” its stand on the shift.

The request has been conveyed through a communication to the ICC’s chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, on Thursday.

Dalmiya, clearly, has tried to make the most of the opportunity provided to him by Lorgat’s email to him a day earlier.

Trust the man who once controlled world cricket to do exactly that.

The four-paragraph communication includes the following: “... Eden Gardens not hosting a match featuring the hosts would leave a negative impression on the history of the sport...”

Nobody from the ICC was available for a comment, but the issue of relocation is a closed chapter.