Our MPs play cricket better, chase Chappell

NEW DELHI: Greg Chappell’s intemperate remarks on parliamentarians provided an opening for the political class to intrude into the management of cricket on Monday. While the Left, which nurtures a grudge against Chappell for Sourav Ganguly’s failure to find a place in the team, used the opportunity to ask the BCCI to rein in the coach, board president Sharad Pawar advised the political class to step back.

The most agitated were the West Bengal MPs. The CPM, which tried to raise the issue in Parliament, said the BCCI should take “appropriate action” against Chappell. Even Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee, who did not allow the matter to be taken up in the House, could not refrain from saying that “nobody should lecture us”. CPI’s Gurudas Dasgupta said the coach had “no business” to make such comments.

BJP leader VK Malhotra said, “Nowadays it has become a fashion to speak against MPs, the remark was unwarranted”. Railway minister Lalu Prasad said the purpose of bringing Chappell as coach has not been served.

Seeing the MPs’ anger, minister of women and child development Renuka Choudhury said, “If Members of Parliament are willing, a privilege motion can be moved against Chappell.” However, the Congress refused to play ball, saying it did not approve political interference in cricket.

Addressing the media, party general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi said, “As far as the Congress is concerned, there is no need for political interference in cricket. The issue should be better left to the people who are associated with the game.”

On the contrary, the Marxists are up in arms against Mr Chappell. “Dismal performance of the team is the coach’s responsibility..... He had no business to criticise Parliament or MPs. The onus lies on the BCCI.

It must rein in the coach,” CPM MPs Basudeb Acharia and Hohammad Salim said at a press conference. When asked if they were seeking the coach’s removal, they said the board had appointed him and the decision should be left to it. To a question about MPs commenting on cricket performance, he said, “MPs are human beings. They feel strongly about the game.”

In West Bengal assembly, members cutting across party lines condemned the coach’s comments and sought his removal. State sports minister Subhas Chakravarty said he should be made to apologise for the remarks about MPs.

But the cricket establishment defended the coach. BCCI president Sharad Pawar blamed the controversy on the electronic media, saying the coach’s comments were being misinterpreted. He said it was a game and “disproportionate” importance should not be given to it.

The former Australian had said on Sunday, reacting to the MPs’ criticism of him, that he “can’t stop them from making comments, that’s what they are paid for to do in Parliament.”