Dalmiya unhappy with India's performance

Board of Control for Cricket in India president Jagmohan Dalmiya was at loss of words on Friday to describe India's defeat to South Africa in the first Test and stressed on the need for consistency in the team's performance.

"I can't describe my feelings (about the loss)," Dalmiya said in New Delhi after a meeting with Sports Minister Uma Bharti.

"We have immense talent. The Board is willing to offer all the support needed. I don't know what is happening in between... why the performance is not coming up. There seems to be no consistency in the team's performance. That consistency has to come in."

Dalmiya said he had received the report he had asked for from coach John Wright and would hold consultations with him and the players once the team returns from South Africa.

"We will go into the depth of the problem. We have to find the missing link," he said.

He said the Selection Committee would today speak to the team management to decide whether a replacement needs to be sent for wicketkeeper Sameer Dighe who returned from South Africa without playing any match due to a back injury.

Dalmiya and BCCI vice-president C K Khanna met Bharti to discuss the forthcoming visit of the England cricket team and other Board matters including the issue of tax exemption.

Dalmiya reiterated that there was no problem to England's tour and it would go ahead as scheduled from November 14. "The Government has cleared the tour from the security and political angle and that is the last word on it," he said.

Dalmiya declined to specify the extra security measures that have been arranged for the English team. "Whatever security we provide, would be adequate," he said.

He said the Board wanted the Indian players to be more accustomed to the Kookaburra balls and asked Bharti to provide duty exemption on the import of those balls.

The issue of tax exemption for the Board also came up during discussions, he said and added that BCCI would be unable to host the ICC Knock-out tournament next year if the exemptions don't come through.

"If we get the exemptions we will hold it next year, otherwise we will ask the International Cricket Council to allot the tournament to us next time," he said.

Dalmiya said the issues of resumption of cricket relations with Pakistan and India's participation in tournaments at non-regular venues, which the Government has banned for three years, did not come up for discussion during his meeting with the Sports Minister

India's tour of South Africa : Complete coverage

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