Ramesh faces disciplinary action

With so much name, fame and money involved, no one likes to lose his place in the Test side. Players are aware that besides the loss of all this, their place in the team can be insecure if they are dropped for any reason. And this is where some of them even go to the extent of faking their fitness even when they are injured. This has happened very often in Indian cricket in the past. The pity is that these players are not only letting the country down, but are also not doing themselves any good for they will soon be exposed.

The latest in the long line of such players is alleged to be Sadagoppan Ramesh. The controversy arose after the selectors picked the left handed opening batsman, who was injured during the third Test at Sydney on the recent Australian tour, for the second Test against South Africa without putting him through the mandatory fitness test. He replaced VVS Laxman but was ruled out of the Test at the last minute, forcing the promotion of Rahul Dravid as a makeshift opener.

It is learnt that Ramesh may be asked to return home as a disciplinary measure for producing a fitness certificate when he was not fully fit. The BCCI reportedly has taken strong exception to this and wants to set an example for other cricketers. The message is clear - hiding injuries will not be tolerated. A senior BCCI official is likely to convey the directive to the team management to convey the decision to Ramesh, who may also be kept out of the first two One-Day Internationals to follow the Test matches.

In the meantime, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has taken strong exception over the episode involving Ramesh who reportedly was not match-fit and yet included in the squad for the Bangalore Test.

MCA joint secretary Ratnakar Shetty has demanded that the BCCI punish such errant players in future for declaring themselves fit when they are not in a condition to play by withholding their allowances and also sending them back immediately.

Shetty has also demanded setting up of a panel of doctors by the BCCI who should be authorised to certify whether injured players have completely recovered from their injuries and are fit to play in a match.

"I have raised some issues concering Indian cricket particularly regarding the policy of the board about verifying the fitness of a player who is out of international cricket because of injury. The board has to decide once and for all the formalities that the players must undergo when they make themselves available after injury," He said he had written on the subject to the BCCI president AC Muthiah.

"The fitness aspect of players has been a cause of embarrassment for the board time and again and the issue has to be sorted out,'' Shetty said.

But several questions remain to be answered. Who should be blamed for the inclusion of Ramesh in the squad of 14? BCCI secretary JY Lele had reportedly announced that Ramesh was fit. And what about team physio Andrew Leipus? Why was the coach kept uninformed till a day ahead of the Test? And is Ramesh alone to be blamed? The last has certainly not been heard on the subject.