Dalmiya explains BCCI decision to Sehwag

Board of Control for Cricket in India president Jagmohan Dalmiya spoke to Virender Sehwag to console him for the decision to drop him from the playing XI of the Mohali Test as quid pro quo to resolve the crisis with the International Cricket Council.

The BCCI chief asked Sehwag to proceed to Mohali with the team and practice with them. "I told him that we are not going to remove him from the team but an additional player will be added for the Mohali Test," said Dalmiya.

Dalmiya called up the dashing batsman late last night and had a 15 minute talk explaining to him the circumstances leading to his exclusion from the Mohali Test. " I had a detailed telephonic conversation with Sehwag last night and explained to him everything and I fell the boy understood the problem and appears to be alright", Dalmiya added.

He told Sehwag that for "all practical purposes he will be part of the team against England". "I told him that he must be feeling bad about the decision but it was taken to save cricket and he (Sehwag) appears to have taken the decision sportingly and said he is solidly behind the board", Dalmiya said.

Dalmiya told Sehwag that he will be "adequately compensated financially and will receive match fee and other allowances like the rest of the team".

He however, hastened to add that financial compensation is not a big deal as a budding player like Sehwag would always like to perform in the field but it appears that "he Sehwag fully understood the circumstances leading to this decision". He also assured Sehwag about his return for the second Test against England.

Sehwag was dropped for the Mohali Test following an agreement reached with the ICC last evening to resolve the present impasse resulting from the harsh punishments given to six Indian players by ICC match referee Mike Denness and subsequent Indian protests.

ICC was insisting that Sehwag should not play the Mohali Test following a one-match ban imposed on him by Denness as the third Test between India and South Africa in which Sehwag did not play was an unofficial match.

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The Mike Denness controversy

Mail Cricket Editor