Top RCA facilities for Aussies upset BCCI
“We won’t get these kinds of facilities if India went abroad. We would have got the bare minimum,” the Cricketnext website quoted Indian cricket board official Ratnakar Shetty as saying.
“The RCA (Rajasthan Cricket Association) is being a little too obliging to the Australian team. They have done more than what a host country will do.”
Ricky Ponting’s men are in the midst of a week-long training schedule at the RCA’s cricket academy in Jaipur before the official part of the tour begins on Oct 2.
The Australians, who were not due in India till Sept 29, arrived a week early to acclimatise following the postponement of the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan due to security concerns.
Former India coach and ex-Australia captain Greg Chappell, who is closely associated with the Rajasthan academy, ensured that excellent facilities were provided for his compatriots ahead of the four-Test series.
Local officials are only too happy to obey Chappell’s commands in his capacity as the touring team’s assistant coach.
“Looking at the Indian conditions, we have given Australia everything they wanted for practice,” said RCA chief pitch curator Taposh Chatterjee. “We have prepared 10 wickets for the Australians.”
The different playing surfaces include a few that take spin, others which help seam bowlers and the rest are easy-paced batting wickets so typical of South Asia.
The RCA officials defended their unusual hospitality for the Australians.
“This is the first time a team has arrived a week ahead of schedule, so why not give them the best facilities,” stated RCA official Bimal Soni. “We are fair players.”
The tourists will train in Jaipur until Sunday before flying to southern Hyderabad for a four-day match against the Indian board president’s XI from Oct 2.
That will be the final warm-up for the Australians ahead of the first Test starting in Bangalore from Oct 9. The remaining back-to-back Tests will be played in Mohali, New Delhi and Nagpur.—AFP