IPL captains' views critical for Gavaskar

BATTING legend Sunil Gavaskar can't understand what the big fuss is all about.

Gavaskar, an Indian Premier League governing council member just like Ravi Shastri and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, was surprised to learn about reported displeasure expressed by team owners after he wrote to team captains, seeking their opinion on the auction rules for the fourth edition of the IPL.


Sunil Gavaskar

It is learnt that Gavaskar has favoured retention of four Indian players and three foreigners but certain team owners did not like the idea of him writing to the captains. Some of them felt bypassed.

Gavaskar said: "We spoke to the team owners even before the captains. I don't know where this story (about bypassing the owners) came from. The BCCI officials are aware of this and how we are moving ahead.

"I wrote to the captains to seek their opinions simply because they play out there in the middle. For example, in the tournament held in South Africa, there was a 10-minute strategic time-out. The captains felt it was too long and it was reduced to five minutes (two and a half minutes each)."

The Indian great stressed that he also speaks to captains of first-class teams as head of the technical committee. "We talk but finally it is up to the BCCI to give their verdict. Here too, everything will be finalised by the BCCI and the governing council. This is just a prelude," said Gavaskar.

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