Bengal cricket body cajoles miffed curator to return

The drama surrounding the preparations of the Eden pitch for the third Test between India and England continued on Saturday with 83-year-old curator Prabir Mukherjee enacting another flip-flop.  

Hours after a peeved Mukherjee had threatened to proceed on medical leave, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Jagmohan Dalmiya persuaded the veteran curator to return to work. Mukherjee, unhappy at being sidelined, had decided to go on a month’s medical leave in the morning, but was cajoled into changing his mind by the evening after meetings with CAB officials.

The drama started in the morning with Mukherjee claiming that he had sent a letter to the CAB, seeking a month’s medical leave.

“Nowhere does the presid­e­nt have the right to talk about pitches. But here they are threatening to suspend me if I talk about pitches,” Mukherjee pointed out. “I expected some sort of protect­i­on from CAB and thought that they would stand by me. Instead they are after me. My BP shot up 170/100 last night. Doctors have advised me  complete rest for a month. I’ve sent the medical report and request for a medical leave for a month to the CAB this morning,” he had said earlier.

Mukherjee has been at the centre of controversy for apparently refusing to toe the line of India captain Mahend­ra Singh Dhoni for a rank turner and after East Zone curator Ashis Bhowmick was directed to oversee the pitch preparations, there were reports that the 83-year-old curator’s wings had been clipped although it is mandatory for zonal curators to visit each venue of their respective zones.

Following his U-turn, Mukherjee was back at the Eden Gardens towards the evening and was seen along with CAB top brass.

“There is no issue at all. We have sorted out the differences. Prabir Mukherjee was the Eden Gardens curator. He will be in charge of the Test match against England starting on December 5 and the India versus Pakistan ODI on January 3, next year,” CAB chief Dalmiya said after his meeting with the veteran curator.

“I’m hearing all sorts of stories everyday. These are all unncessary media created stories. Yes, he is really unwell, but I’ve asked him to come and stay for lesser time,” Dalmiya added.