Witch-hunting on against Dalmiya: Brijesh Patel

Kolkata, May 25 (UNI) Former test Cricketer Brijesh Patel today criticised the present BCCI regime for launching a witchhunt against former board president Jagmohan Dalmiya.

''The current regime only talks of transparency. I don't know what kind of transparency they are talking of. It is absolutely absent in their actions, '' Patel told reporters during his visit to the city on a business tour.

Patel, a former chairman of the senior selection panel and secretary of Karnatka state cricket association said there was no response from the Sharad Pawar-led board when he asked for the report of a review committee.

''They didn't even acknowledge my missive sent to them, '' he said.

''Had they been transparent, they would have made public the facts pertaining to the court case against Mr Dalmiya, including the setbacks they received from Bombay High Court, '' Patel stated.

Asked whether the BCCI was on a witchhunt against Dalmiya, he said, '' Of course, they are. It is very sad. '' Patel also refused to accept the argument that the new BCCI office-bearers were successful in generating more revenue than the Dalmiya-led body.

''Ask anyone they will say it's the fruit of labour put by the previous Board, '' he said.

Ever since the new regime came to power, Dalmiya had been at the receiving end as a plethora of accusations and allegations ranging from fraudulence to bending the rules were slammed on him.

However, a case lodged in Bombay High Court against him saw the judges ruling in his favour after the special wing of the Enforcement Department found nothing after interrogating him for six days in Mumbai and Kolkata.

But Dalmiya has been suspended from the BCCI with other allegations still pending.

Meanwhile, standing firmly behind former Team India skipper Sourav Ganguly, Patel felt that the Ganguly should not have been given a raw deal by the new BCCI Board keeping in mind his rich contribution to Indian cricket.

''Though Greg Chappel had been doing a fine job, it was very unfortunate that he had developed some sort of a mind block about Sourav,'' he asserted.

''I do not know why he has been doing this but i feel he is doing no good to Indian cricket by developing this absurd mind block and forgetting the rich contribution of Sourav in both Test and one dayers,'' Mr Patel stated.

He also felt Sourav had all the qualities of bouncing back into top form and hoped he would soon make a forceful re-entry into the Indian squad.

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