While Reg Dickason is said to have approved Chennai and is on his way to inspect the situation in Mohali, Kevin Pietersen is still in scurry mode to secure a playing eleven as Indian team awaits selectors’ verdict.
The manner in which matters are proceeding for England to return to the complete their tour of India, the BCCI officials have had to play a rather patient game and pull their hair out. As time inches closer to the scheduled itinerary, the selectors will be sitting down in less than twenty-four teams to pick the Test squad for the two Test, the Indian selectors that is.
With the ECB having left the option to tour to the players, Pietersen is having a hard time finalizing the list of players willing to board the flight, which was originally scheduled for tomorrow. Now as Pietersen copes with the near certain loss of Steve Harmison, James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff, there is also the remote possibility that England will take a detour before descending on India. There are suggestions that the England team could well train in Abu Dhabi though the officials there have confirmed that it is still mere speculation and that they have not been approached with a similar request.
But Dickason is likely to submit a rather ambiguous report if his investigation in Chennai is anything to go by. If sources are to be believed, he was apparently not happy with the security arrangements and has requested a list of modifications to be made in order to make the Test and the events around it including the players’ security air tight. Already Chennai is hosting the second Test in place of Mumbai. The BCCI has acquiesced to let Mohali host the first Test in place of Ahmedabad. But Dickason has still to tour the area before he can send his report back to England.
So, it is a close wait and watch for the England players back home while players closer to home will not only be hoping to make the selection cut tomorrow, also opened by the retirements of Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble during the Australia series, but also, they get the opportunity to take the field against England.
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