Special conclave to seek remedies for Indian cricket begins

A crucial two-day working committee meeting, convened to chalk out the future course for Indian cricket following their disastrous performance at the World Cup, began at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) headquarters here today.

The meeting has beencalled to take stock of the situation and seek answers on how to take the game forward in this country which is at the crossroads following the World Cup debacle and coach Greg Chappell's resignation.

The endeavour began with the fact-finding closeted World Cup review meeting involving the outgoing coach Greg Chappell, captain Rahul Dravid, manager Sanjay Jagdale and selection panel Chief Dilip Vengsarkar along with the BCCI's office bearers headed by president Sharad Pawar.

Chappell, who had put an end to his tempestuous and controversy- ridden 22-month stint by intimating Pawar of his intention not to seek renewal of his expired contract, and Jagdale are slated to submit their tour reports to the Cricket Board's mandarins at the first meeting.

After this opening session, the office bearers are set to meet seven former captains in the afternoon to find out the exact course that needs to be charted out for Indian cricket to pull itself out of the morass it has slipped into.

Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, Chandu Borde, S Venkataraghavan, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Ravi Shastri have been invited for the afternoon meeting.

Expected to come up at this interaction is the choice of a new coach - particularly his nationality. Some of these ex-captains have aired their views about their preference for an Indian to guide the team in its hour of crisis.

The outcome of today's meetings would be put before the all-powerful Working Committee tomorrow at which the Players' Contracts are also expected to be finalised.

Media persons, both print and television, were asked to stay outside the premises initially but were allowed inside at Pawar's intervention.

The place resembled the scenes similar to what is seen in a Test or ODI match taking place with policemen tightly guarding all the entrances.

No official media conference has been scheduled today.

UNI GS PM SAM DS1220

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