It is a pleasant surprise : Borde

Pune, Jun 12 (UNI) Former captain Chandu Borde said he was ''pleasantly surprised'' at being appointed the Cricket Manager of Indian Team by the BCCI today.

''It is indeed a pleasnt surprise being appointed as Manager of the Indian team for the twin Tours of Ireland and England,'' said an elated Borde here.

''I am honoured to accept the appointment to serve the country,'' the Arjuna and Padma Bhusan Shree Awardee said.

However, Chandrakant Gulabrao Borde, who headed the the selection committee for two terms said he has yet to receive official intimation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The decision to appoint Borde was taken by the BCCI Working Committee which met here to discuss South African Graham Ford's turning down the offer to become the India coach, among other issues.

Seventy-two-year-old Borde, a leg-spinner all-rounder, played in 55 Tests and scored 3061 runs and took 52 wickets.

He was twice chief national selector, first during 1982-84 and then at the turn of the millennium.

A winner of CK Nayadu Life Achievement award, Borde made his Test debut in 1958 against West Indies at Mumbai and played his last Test against Australia, also at Mumbai in 1969.

The fact that he was the only Indian in the Rest of the World team that played Barbados in a commemoration match in 1967 speaks of the high regard that the cricketing world had for Borde's ubiquitous skills.

Borde's career had a storybook start when in his first series he scored 109 and 96 against the all conquering West Indian side in 1958-59.

India play three ODIs against South Africa in Ireland between June 26 and July 1.

They then contest a one-off one-day international against Pakistan at Glasgow, Scotland, on July 3 before moving to England for a full-fledged series - between July 7 and September 8 - of three Tests and seven ODIs.

UNI