So, who are the real pests?

INDIAN cricket administrators keep complaining about the media being a pest

INDIAN cricket administrators keep complaining about the media being a pest. But nothing much is being done to ensure both parties at least attempt to work together.

But why? Former BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya did not like the Press questioning the chief selector

It is wrong for the media to expect the world when it comes to information, but the Board at the moment is being very miserly when it comes to basic updates. Take Sunday's selection, for example. It involved announcing the team for a tournament as big as the Champions Trophy. And how is the news delivered to the media? Via a mere e-mail! Here's what it said: "The All India Senior Selection Committee at its Meeting held today at TNCA, M A Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai, selected the following team for the Tri Series at Sri Lanka and Champions Trophy 2009 to be played in South Africa (the 15-man team is named)."

Hello... whatever happened to Virender Sehwag? Are we to assume his medical reports were not good enough for him to merit selection or did the selection committee feel he was too much of a risk? Surely, we have a right to know.

Jagmohan Dalmiya in his stint as president of the Board was the first to stop the practice of making the chairman answerable for decisions taken by the committee. The reason proffered then was because members of the Press were disrespectful to the chief selector through their probing questioning. But, how about some basic reasons for selections and omissions, Sirs?

On one hand, the Board wants to have as little interaction as possible with the media. On the other, fitness reports get leaked by officials, causing mayhem and innuendo. Jaywant Lele, the former BCCI secretary, could be a very stubborn man when he wanted to but one always got the feeling that he was always generous with the truth.

Back to Sunday's selection. Wouldn't the media want to report correctly as to why performer Pragyan Ojha made way for Amit Mishra? That a member of the Indian team told me about Godfather-less Ojha's possible exclusion three days before the selection is another matter.

Media matters relating to the Indian Premier League are better handled. Journalists are given a fair chance to ask questions to which Lalit Modi is forthcoming. And importantly, the IPL has a PR agency to deal with the media. Probably, the BCCI should do the same the best pest control their money could buy.