NEW DELHI: Former Indian captain Bishen Singh Bedi feels that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) lacked direction and lambasted its officials for having ``no clue'' to what was going on in the game in the country. ``Nobody seems to be accountable in the BCCI,'' Bedi said yesterday. ``Today everybody is talking about the exing of Azhar, but not of VVS Laxman who has a great potential as a btsman,'' he added. The board was not consistent in its approach, he felt.

Azhar fans protest

AURANGABAD: Cricket fans in the city have threatened to resort to an agitation if the decision to drop former cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin from the Indian side for the first three matches in the Independence Cup was not reconsidered. A statement signed by about 20 citizens said that Azharuddin's performance in tournaments played at home was highly appreciable. They felt that the selectors had done great injustice to Azhar by dropping him.

I-Cup umpires

CALCUTTA: Following are the posting of umpires and the referees for the remaining matches of Independence Cup '97:

May 12, Pakistan v Sri Lanka. Umpires: S Venkataraghavan (Ind) & Steve Dunne (NZ). Third umpire: SK Bansal (Ind). Referee: Hanumant Singh (Ind). May 14, India v New Zealand. Umpires: Javed Akhtar (Pak) & David Orchard (SA). Third umpire: KT Francis (SL). Referee: AM Ebrahim (Zim). May 17, India v Sri Lanka. Umpires: Dunne & Orchard. Third umpire: Akhtar. Referee: Ebrahim.

May 20, Sri Lanka v New Zealand. Umpires: Bansal (Ind) & Akhtar. Third umpire: Venkat. Referee: Hanumant.

May 21, India v Pakistan. Umpires: Francis & Orchard. Third umpire: Dunne. Referee: Ebrahim.

The umpires' posting for the first finals will be done by the board after the preliminary phase.

Abhijit rallies

AHMEDABAD: Abhijit Mazumdar and Radhika Mandke (both of Maharashtra) emerged supreme in contrasting styles in the boys' and girls'under-16 singles finals respectively in the Adidas Zonal Circuit All India Ranking Tennis Championship today.

Muzumdar pipped Dipesh Rao 0-6, 6-3, 6-4 while Radhika beat qualifier Megha Vakharia 6-2, 6-2.

Jerald Sam dead

CALCUTTA: Veteran sports writer Jerald P Sam died here yesterday evening following protracted illness. Sam was in his 60s and is survived by a son, a daughter and wife.

Sam joined The Statesman in Calcutta in 1964 and served till retirement. Sam, who covered many National and international sports events, especially in hockey, also served as an assistant secretary to Calcutta Sports Journalists' Club.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.