Simpson picks Aussie trainer for Indian team
Bob Simpson, the former Australia captain and consultant to the Board of Control of Cricket in India, has selected an Australian physical trainer to get the Indian team into shape.
But the new trainer's name, his terms and assignment will be presented to the media only on February 20, BCCI president Raj Singh Dungarpur said.
Simpson, who arrived in Bombay on Thursday, will hold several rounds of talks with Board officials headed by Dungarpur. If both sides agree, it will be a long-term contract since the BCCI feels no suitable expert is available in the country.
Simpson reaffirmed that, due to reasons of loyalty, he would not be present during the Australian tour of India. He will return to Australia on February 19; the Australians arrive on February 21.
Dungarpur said the details of Simpson's contract would be released on February 20.
Simpson arrived in the midst of a storm he raised by claiming that Indian off-spinner Rajesh Chauhan and Sri Lankan off-spinner Kumara Dharamsena chucked the ball.
He had expressed surprise that Kapil Dev had taken exception to him casting doubts on Chauhan. He said he had mentioned it as part of his duty as a match referee. Kapil had retorted that the onus of calling a bowler for chucking lay with umpires and not the match referee.
Simpson said Kapil Dev was a number of an ICC advisory committee formed just to root out such practices and that, on the basis of the evidence he had sent, the committee had collectively decided that Chauhan and Dharmsena had suspect actions.
"If you overlook such action then it would not be fair to those who turn their arms cleanly since anyone can spin with a bent arm,'' he said. Any batsman, he added, who is dismissed by such suspect bowlers had grounds to feel cheated.
Simpson claimed he could judge the genuineness of a bowler since he had come across many bowlers with crooked arms during his playing days. In the sixties, he pointed out the Australian team faced such problems.
UNI
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