India safe for Sri Lankan cricketers: BCCI president

Indian cricket board president N.Srinivasan said Monday that India was safe for Sri Lankan cricketers playing for the Indian Premier League (IPL) and feels that the Tamil Nadu government is capable to handle law and order situation in the state.

Street protests have taken place in Tamil Nadu to denounce the Sri Lankan government for the killings of Tamil civilians in the war against the Tamil Tigers in  the island country.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president hoped that the issue will be sorted out despite threats by Tamil activists to disrupt games involving Sri Lankan players.

"These are operational matters. I don't want to get into this issue. The IMG (event manager) and the IPL will look at it and decide. The government of Tamil Nadu is capable of handling law and order situation. I feel these issues will get sorted out," Srinivasan told IANS.

Asked if any IPL teams have requested the BCCI to move matches out of Chennai, Srinivasan said: "I am not aware of it."

Eight of the nine IPL franchises have Sri Lankan players in their roster. Chennai, home to Super Kings, is scheduled to host 10 IPL matches this season.

Akila Dananjaya and Nuwan Kulasekara will play for Chennai Super Kings; Jeevan Mendis and Mahela Jayawardene for Delhi Daredevils; Sachithra Senanayake plays for Kolkata Knight Riders; Lasith Malinga is with Mumbai Indians; Ajantha Mendis and Angelo Mathews are in Pune Warriors; Rajasthan Royals have Kusal Janith Perera; Royal Challengers have Muttiah Muralitharan and Tillakaratne Dilshan; and Sunrisers Hyderabad have Kumar Sangakkara and Thisara Perera.

Jayawardene will be leading Daredevils and Sangakkara will be in charge of Sunrisers.
The BCCI chief, however, refused to comment on the selectors decision to drop the frontline opening duo of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir for under-performance during the series against Australia.

"I don't comment on selection matters. But I think overall the selectors have been very sincere and have been trying their best looking at the present and future of Indian cricket," Srinivasan said.

Without directly stating that Sehwag and Gambhir's exclusion was the correct decision, Srinivasan praised the performances of of Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara and Shikhar Dhawan.

"I don't have to say that," was his immediate reaction when asked whether the changes made in the team have borne out results or not.

"What we should be happy about is the performances of Shikhar Dhawan, Pujara and Vijay. The team is looking different, looking confident. The bowlers also have performed well," he said.

Asked whether it would be difficult for the likes of Sehwag and Gambhir to make a comeback in the team, Srinivasan said, "It is for the selectors to answer. All I can say is that the team looks good."

Srinivasan spoke highly of Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is also the skipper of his IPL team Chennai Super Kings.

"He (Dhoni) has always been playing a good role. He has always been an outstanding player. We can't forget that he has captained India to two World Cup wins. He is an experienced captain. I think he has sailed well through all ups and downs," the BCCI president said.

Srinivisan also refused to give a direct answer when asked whether he backed Dhoni when the selectors at one point of time thought of replacing the wicketkeeper-batsman as skipper after the disastrous tour of England and Australia.

"It is not proper to discuss what happens in a selection meeting. But the constitution of the BCCI does say that the president has to approve the national team," Srinivasan said.
"I definitely believed that the team should be backed," he said.
Talking about the fate of Sri Lankan players, who are uncertain to play in Chennai in the upcoming IPL in view of the prevailing anti-Sinhalese sentiments in Tamil Nadu, Srinivasan hoped that the matter will be sorted out before the commencement of the Twenty20 league on April 3.

"These are operational matters, we have got an event management company in IMG to deal with," he said.

"I believe the government of Tamil Nadu is extremely capable of handling any situation. There is absolutely no problem of law and order here. IPL is some time away and these are issues I think will get sorted out.

"India is a safe place. Every state in India is safe to play cricket," Srinivasan said.
Asked about the recent CBI raids at his residence regarding the non-payment of custom duties of 11 imported cars, Srinivasan said, "No car was taken away and its not 11 cars as stated. I was not even in India.

"I believe there was a visit, some checking took place because the CBI was possibly looking at some offender not directly related to us. They just wanted to verify some facts which they did," he said.

"India Cements has paid all duties on everything which are applicable. We never defaulted on anything," he added.