The Hindu : Sport : Players I wanted were ignored, says Mallya

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Players I wanted were ignored, says Mallya

Team owner lashes out at Dravid, Charu Sharma
Mallya expects team to salvage some pride with some wins

New Delhi: The internal bickering in the Bangalore Royal Challengers team came out in the open on Monday with team owner Vijay Mallya lashing out at captain Rahul Dravid and former CEO Charu Sharma for the side’s poor show in the DLF-Indian Premier League (IPL).

Mallya made it clear that he was not happy with the squad, currently languishing at the bottom of the IPL points table, which has been ridiculed as a Test team in a Twenty20 jersey.

He said he had some players in mind, but Dravid and Sharma completely ignored them and went ahead with their own plan during the IPL auctions.

Not supportive

“I was very tempted to bid for players whom I wanted, but they held me back,” he said.

He said Sharma backed Dravid to the hilt and even in the second auction, where the captain was not present, the former CEO discouraged Mallya from buying players of his choice.

“When Dravid was not present at the second auction, I wanted to acquire some players, but Charu Sharma was very tentative about them.

“I mean I bought Misbah-ul-Haq because I was determined to do it. There were other players I was discouraged about,” Mallya said.

Sharma, however, said he did not have any role in players’ selection.

“How could you think that I would have a say in the selection of the playing XI when you have great players like Rahul Dravid and Test captain Anil Kumble in the side?” Sharma asked.

He said the team lost a few close matches and Mallya needed to have faith in the team management.

On his sacking, Sharma said, “Well, if I say I’m not feeling hurt, I’d be wrong.”

Ample hints

Mallya, however, dropped ample hints that he felt Sharma did not contribute enough to the team’s cause and that was the reason behind replacing him with former Test player Brijesh Patel.

“Charu Sharma was appointed CEO because I thought he understood cricket and he would add value to the team and the entire Royal Challengers initiative.”

Mallya said Patel’s appointment was necessitated because he was tired of complaints that the team did not have good practice facilities in its base in Bangalore.

“When I was questioning the performance of the team, all I was told was that practice facilities are bad, then I was told there was no bonding in the team... so everything was blamed on a particular event or lack of infrastructure”, he said.

“So I said to myself that things can’t continue like this and I brought Brijesh Patel. He is the secretary of the Karnataka State Cricket Association and who better a person to provide match facilities and whatever else the team needs at its base in Bangalore. He understands cricket as well,” Mallya explained.

He also made it clear that IPL had an unmistakable corporate face, which makes it evidently distinct from other tournaments.

“At the end of the day people need to understand that the IPL has a corporate side to it, and a very definitive corporate side at that. It is not at all cricket in the traditional sense.”

Now that the team’s semifinal hopes have gone up in smoke, Mallya expects Dravid and his teammates to win a few matches to salvage some pride.

“I want Rahul Dravid to do the best for the team and to produce some good results for us because I don’t think Rahul Dravid enjoys being at the bottom of the league tables, and certainly I don’t.” Mallya added. — PTI

Sharma remains silent

Our Principal Correspondent adds from Bangalore:

Meanwhile Sharma refused to make any more remarks on the controversy that has plagued the Royal Challengers’ team composition.

The former CEO in a statement through a press release said: “I wish to maintain a dignified silence and that’s exactly what I intend to do. Regardless of any further developments relating to my early ouster from the Bangalore Royal Challengers team.

“Let us not forget that the team is still out there — on the road — doing its best, trying to improve match after match. The last thing they need is any further distraction off the field.

“What they do need in unconditional, genuine support. And that is what I continue to give them.”

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