Srinivasan gives stern warning, curator unfazed

Under-fire curator of the Eden Gardens, Prabir Mukherjee, said he is not bothered about BCCI President N Srinivasan’s reported unhappiness with the pitch for the ongoing Test in which England are in command.

Under-fire curator of the Eden Gardens, Prabir Mukherjee, said he is not bothered about BCCI president N Srinivasan’s reported unhappiness with the pitch for the ongoing Test in which England are in command.

Prabir-Mukherjee-the-pitch-curator-of-the-Eden-Gardens-is-disappointed-over-the-Cricket-Association-of-Bengal-s-decision-to-sideline-him-for-the-third-Test-between-India-and-England

There is speculation that Mukherjee’s days as Eden’s curator would be over after India-Pakistan one-dayer on January 3 as CAB might go for another local man.

Unhappy with the functioning of the outspoken Mukherjee, the Board supremo, in a brainstorming meeting on Friday, had reportedly asked CAB chief Jagmohan Dalmiya to make the 83-year-old fall in line or else get ready for a harsh step.

Mukherjee, however, remained unperturbed.

“Let Srinivasan say whatever he wants to. I don’t listen to him. I don't even speak to the (CAB) President before preparing a wicket. I act as per my knowledge of the wicket. I also don’t read the newspaper reports. Let them write what they want,” Mukherjee said this morning.

Asked whether his days were numbered, Mukherjee said, “It's a million dollar question.”

A CAB official, on condition of anonymity, had earlier divulged the details of the meeting that took place between Srinivasan and Dalmiya.

“He (Srinivasan) was very unhappy with the Eden strip and asked CAB to make Mukherjee fall in line or else ‘sack’ him. BCCI would be forced to take a harsh step against the association — like not granting any match to this venue, Srinivasan told CAB,” the official said.

“CAB was out of favour for a long time, and now after we have buried the hatchet with the BCCI, we cannot afford to take them on once again. Srinivasan even said that these sort of wickets would not help India capitalise on home conditions,” the official added.

Before the start of this Test, the octogenarian had defied Dhoni's demand for a turner.