BCCI blames Ford for fiasco, Dungarpur blames BCCI

New Delhi, June 12 (UNI) The BCCI today stopped just short of charging Graham Ford of misleading the board as it claimed that the former South African coach first gave his consent to accept the Team India coach job before retracting later.

Addressing the media after the BCCI Working Committee meet here, board treasurer N Srinivasan said, ''Ford was told that his name has been recommended to the Working Committee by the coach selection committee. He gave his consent. We even discussed the terms and conditions and he raised no objection.

''When asked categorically whether it is a matter of 'if' or 'when' for Ford to join, he said 'when','' he added.

However, Srinivasan refused to call it an embarrassment for the board and said the media was blowing the issue out of proportion.

''The board doesn't see it as an embarrassment. It happens in life. We see the episode in that way. The chapter is closed for us, nothing is left.'' Srinivasan further said that the search for new coach will start all over again. He, however, informed that John Emburey hadn't been contacted again for the job.

Meanwhile, former BCCI president Raj Singh Dungarpur, who attended the Working Committee meet described the Ford fiasco as ''the most embarrassing in the Indian cricket history.'' ''There is nothing more embarrassing than this (Ford) episode in Indian cricket,'' Dungarpur said here, adding, ''the premature announcement of Graham Ford as the coach by the Board was unfortunate and most embarrassing.'' When asked who between the Board and Ford was to blame for the incident, Dungarpur said, ''It is the Board's fault.'' ''I asked (Sunil) Gavaskar, who I consider among the best batsman in cricketing history, whether Ford would be relieved from his contract with his county Kent, to which Gavaskar told me he (Ford) had given his approval for accepting the BCCI offer.'' Ford took everyone by surprise when he refused to accept the post of Team India coach after expresseing keen interest and even appearing before the coach selection committee for an interview.

Former captain Chandu Borde was appointed the cricket Manager of the Team India for the twin tours of Ireland and England by the BCCI Working Committee. Borde takes over from Ravi Shastri who was the in-charge of team's affair on the Bangladesh tour.

UNI